News Report
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan took suo moto action over the elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab and formed a nine-member larger bench over the matter on Wednesday. The Supreme Court of Pakistan will hear the case on Thursday.
According to a statement of Pakistan’s Apex Court, the Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial took notice over delay in elections of the two provincial assemblies. The CJP would head the larger bench of the Supreme Court.
Chief Justice of Pakistan Takes Suo Motu in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab Polls
According to Suo Motu notice, the larger bench shall compromise of Mr. Justice Umar Ata Bandial, CJP, Mr. Justice Ijaz ul Ahsan, Mr. Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, Mr. Justice Munib Akhtar, Mr. Justice Yahya Afridi, Mr. Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi, Mr. Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Mr. Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, and Mr. Justice Athar Minallah.
Suo Motu Notice stated that the court has been informed that assemblies in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab had been dissolved. It added that the President of Pakistan and the Election Commission of Pakistan also discussed the matters via letter. It maintained that elections should be held within 90 days as per constitutions of the country.
The development comes two days following Pakistan’s President Dr. Arif Alvi on Monday unilaterally announced April 9 as the date for conducting polls in KP and Punjab after his invitation for consultations on the elections was turned down by the ECP.
It may be recalled that PTI governments in the two provinces had dissolved the provincial assemblies and demanded fresh elections in the country. However, the federal government said that elections will be held as per schedule.
The Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies were dissolved in January, following former prime minister and chairman of PTI Imran Khan had announced to dissolve the provincial assemblies in an attempt to force the federal government to hold snap elections.
