ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will hold a meeting today to discuss Tuesday’s ruling by the Supreme Court (SC) that declared the electoral body’s order to postpone elections in Punjab as “unconstitutional”.
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja will chair the meeting that will be held at the ECP Secretariat, local media reported.
ECP will reportedly chalk out its plan of action in the light of the apex court’s order.
Top court annuls ECP’s March 22 notification
The apex court on Tuesday declared the ECP’s March 22 notification on Punjab elections null and void and set May 14 as the new date for elections to the Punjab Assembly.
A three-member bench — comprising Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Munib Akhtar — announced the reserved judgment on the PTI’s petition challenging the ECP’s order postponing the elections in Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
The top court stated in its verdict that the last date for submitting appeals against the returning officer’s decision is April 10 and the election tribunal will announce the decision on the appeals on April 17. “Elections in Punjab and KP should be transparent, impartial and as per the law,” read the verdict.
It ordered the Shehbaz Sharif-led federal government to provide Rs21 billion in funds by April 10 to the Election Commission and directed the body to present a report on the subject by April 11. The verdict also said that the SC will issue instructions to the authorities concerned in case the funds are not provided.
The apex court also directed the federal government to provide resources including Rangers, armed forces, FC personnel — and extend all the required support in order to hold polls in the provinces.
