Justice Ayesha A. Malik asks ECP’s official that whether the commission constitutionally bound to consult the governor.
ISLAMABAD: (UrduPoint/Pakistan Point News-Feb 15th, 2023) Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial on Wednesday asked the Election Commission of Pakistan what it was doing on the directives given by the Lahore High Court (LHC) regarding election date in Punjab.
The top judge also directed the ECP to implement the Lahore High Court’s (LHC) orders on general elections in Punjab.
The CJP made these directions while hearing a plea of Punjab Assembly lawmakers who were de-seated for going against the party lines.
The plea was turned down as the petitioner told the bench that it was not maintainable after dissolution of the provincial assembly.
“The issue of restoring the dissident lawmakers is over now as the assembly has already been dissolved,” observed CJP Bandial.
ECP’s director-general of law submitted that a delegation of the commission had met Punjab Governor Baligh-Ur-Rehman on the issue a day earlier. He told the court that the governor had directed the ECP to seek further clarity in this regard.
The CJP asked that was done so far by the governor the ECP to which the ECP official said that it was the governor’s jurisdiction.
Justice Ayesha A. Malik of the SC also asked the ECP official that why it was consulting the governor.
“Is it constitutionally binding upon the ECP to consult the governor?,” asked the judge.
The CJP, meanwhile, observed that the high court directed the ECP for elections and they should comply with it.
On it, the ECP’s DG law informed the bench that the court had also directed them to consult with the governor.
The CJP observed that if the high court gave the order then follow it and disposed of the plea.
The Lahore High Court had last week directed the ECP to hold elections in Punjab within 90 days. Justice Jawad Hassan passed the orders while hearing the PTI’s plea and asked the body to hold the polls within the constitutional limits.
