Soon, SC will commence hearing on petition regarding Punjab and KP elections

SC had sought assurances from govt, PTI for peaceful elections.
The constitutionality of the ECP’s March 22 ruling delaying the elections has been questioned by the top court.
During today’s hearing, ECP requested assistance with any legal inquiries.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) petition regarding the dates of the elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will soon be heard again by the Supreme Court.

The Punjab elections were postponed to October 8 due to an appeal filed by the Imran Khan-led party against the Pakistani Election Commission (ECP).

The electoral body’s statement came after finance and security officials stated their inability to assist the voting process.

The governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa then requested the electoral board to hold general elections on the same day (October 8) as the Punjab elections due to the mounting security risks posed by terrorist organisations operating in the Pakistan-Afghanistan border regions.

In response to the petition, the SC summoned the Election Commission for delaying the Punjab elections and demanded promises from the PTI and the government to put the past behind them in order to hold free, transparent, and fair elections.

Timely general elections held “honestly, justly, fairly and in accordance with the law” are essential for the democratic form of governance required by our Constitution, according to Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial.

He said that “any flaw, deficiency, or failure in the conduct of general elections is, prima facie, a matter of public importance that affects the fundamental rights of the voting public.”

The court had questioned the constitutionality of the ECP’s decision delaying the election on March 22 and noted that the order constituted a roadblock to the execution of its ruling for the people of the two provinces’ fundamental rights.

The elections for the Punjab and KP assemblies shall be held within 90 days, the top court decided in a suo motu case earlier this month.

President Arif Alvi declared the schedule for the Punjab elections after conferring with the ECP in light of the divided judgement.

The SC also sent notifications to the governors of both provinces through chief secretaries, requesting their responses today regarding the legal issues presented by the petitioner, in addition to giving notices to all parties in yesterday’s hearing.

Additionally, it requested that the ECP show up prepared to help with the legal issues and factual issues in today’s hearing.