ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Supreme Court (SC) has resumed hearing the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) petition against the Election Commission of Pakistan’s decision to delay the general elections to the Punjab Assembly till October 8.
A five-member larger bench comprising Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Ijazul Ahsan, Justice Aminuddin Khan and Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail has taken up the case. The newly-appointed Attorney-General for Pakistan Mansoor Usman Awan will be representing the government in the court today.
Ahead of the hearing, the coalition parties including PPP, JUI-F and PML-N submitted a request to the court to become respondents in the case. As the Supreme Court took up PTI’s petition on Monday, it issued a notice to the Election Commission of Pakistan and asked the body to come prepared to justify its decision postponing elections to the Punjab Assembly.
The court also issued notices to respondents as governor Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP), federal secretaries of cabinet division, parliamentary affairs ministry and the ministry of law and justice.
Monday’s hearing in Supreme Court
During Monday’s hearing, Chief Justice Bandial had observed that the spirit of the constitution does not envisage the making or breaking of governments, but rather focuses on ensuring good governance and bringing happiness to the people by protecting their rights.
At the same time, the CJP had also shared his worries regarding the prevailing hostility, animosity, and bitterness which he said had been “sown into our polity”, while questioning the role political leaders were playing in restoring peace and calm in society and seeking a ‘commitment’ from parties in this regard.
The Imran-led party’s petition was moved by Secretary General Asad Umar, Punjab Assembly speaker Mohammad Sibtain Khan, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Speaker Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani and ex-lawmakers of Punjab Abdul Rehman and Mian Mahmoodur Rashid. They pleaded that the ECP’s decision was in violation of the Constitution and tantamount to amending and subverting it.
