The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Wednesday moved Supreme Court to review its orders of holding Polls in Punjab by 14th May.
In a 14-page petition, the electoral watch dog pleaded the Supreme Court to suspend its May 14 decision until a verdict on the revision petition on the issue.
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“SC should review its decision as the judiciary doesn’t have the authority to give the date of elections,” the ECP petition read.
“If the decision is not suspended, the election commission will suffer an irreparable loss,” the petitioner pleaded.
The petition was regsitered hours after the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) said that it would submit a detailed report of the talks between the party leaders and the ruling alliance, urging the apex court to implement its verdict in Punjab polls case.
“[…] it is most respectfully prayed that this August Court may graciously accept the instant Review Petition by revisiting, reviewing, reconsidering and recalling its Impunged Order/Judgment dated 04.04.2023, in the interest of justice and equity,” the petition read.
The electoral body reiterated that the appointing of the date for the election is “not the mandate of superior courts under the Constitution.”
The electoral body accused the Supreme Court of disregarding its constitutional jurisdiction, emphasizing that it assumed upon itself the role of a public body in giving a date; “thus intervention by the Court is necessitated to correct an error which has effectively changed the settled constitutional jurisprudence of the country.”
Remember that, Supreme Court (SC) on in its ver4th April verdict declares the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) 22nd March order to postpone Elections in Punjab null and void ordering to hold poll by 14th of May.
A three-member bench heading by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Munib Akhtar — announced the reserved verdict on the PTI’s petition challenging the Election Commission of Pakistan’s order postponing the elections in Punjab and KP.
The Supreme Court declared the ECP’s order postponing the provincial assembly elections until October 8 as “unconstitutional” and ordered the government to release Rs21 billion funds for elections in Punjab by April 10.
The top court also directed to conduct Punjab polls on May 14. The SC further directed the caretaker government in Punjab to assist the commission.
Supreme Court also directed Pak Army to provide security for the upcoming elections and also orders to ECP to hold elections.
However, the National Assembly later passed a resolution rejecting the three-member Supreme Court bench’s verdict on the Punjab polls, stating that it would not provide funds to the ECP for polls.
