Decision was taken keeping in view thousands of cases pending with tribunals against elected members: ECP officials. PHOTO: AFP
After 2013 general election, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had constituted election tribunal comprising retired judges of the high courts and given them mandate to dispose of all petitions within 120-day of the first hearing.
The ECP claimed it opted for retired judges assuming it would expedite the process as the sitting judges are already overburdened due to regular cases. However, the experiment failed. There are petitions pending before those tribunals even after expiry of term of previous assemblies.
In view of that experience, the ECP this time reverted to sitting judges of the high courts to adjudicate cases related to election disputes and on August 15 notified the Election Tribunals for General Elections-2018, comprising sitting judges.
ECP establishes appellate tribunals to hear appeals
In the new election laws, the Election Act, 2017, a detailed chapter has been added on the post-election tribunals, their composition, powers, procedure for filing of petitions and other details. A time period of 120 days has been fixed in the law to conclude proceedings. These tribunals would start hearings from next week in every province.
Sindh
Justice Omer Sial of the Sindh High Court (SHC) will be hearing petition from all National Assembly and Sindh Assembly constituencies of Karachi's Malir, East and Korangi districts. His office will serve as tribunal for reserved seats for women and non-Muslims for the national and provincial legislatures.
Justice Syed Yousaf Ali Sayeed of SHC would be hearing petitions from National Assembly and provincial assembly constituencies falling under Karachi Central, West and South districts.
Justice Shafri Siddiqui of SHC would hear petitions from the NA and Sindh Assembly constituencies falling under Sukkur and Larkana divisions at Sukkur bench. Justice Khadim Hussain Shaikh would hear petitions from constituencies in Hyderabad, Shaheed Benazirabad and Mirpurkhas divisions.
Balochistan
Justice Hashim Khan Kakar of the Balochistan High Court (BHC) will be hearing petitions from s NA-257 to NA-264 constituencies of National Assembly and PB-1 to PB-25 seats of the Balochistan Assembly.
Justice Abduallh Baloch will hear petitions from NA-265 to NA-272 of National Assembly and PB-25 to PB-51 of the Balochistan Assembly.
Justice Nazeer Ahmed Langove will hear petitions related to reserved seats for women and non-Muslims.
Punjab
There will be four benches of the Lahore High Court (LHC) in Lahore principal seat assigned petitions from NA-68 to NA-149 of the National Assembly and PP-28 to PP-102 of the provincial assembly.
Four judges will hear petitions related to these constituencies. They would also hear petitions regarding reserved seats for women and non-Muslims in the NA from the province and in the Punjab Assembly.
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Justice Muhammad Ameer Bhatti would be hearing petitions from NA-166 to NA-180 of the National Assembly and from PP-237 to PP-267 of the provincial assembly at Bahawalpur bench.
At Multan bench Justice Sardar Ahmed Naeem will be hearing petitions from NA-150 to NA-165 of the National Assembly and from PP-203 to PP-236 of the Punjab Assembly.
Justice Mujahid Mustaqeem Ahmed would be hearing petitions from NA-181 to NA-195 of the National Assembly and from PP-268 to PPP-297 of the provincial assembly at the Multan bench.
At Rawalpindi bench of the LHC Jusitce Mirza Vaqas Rauf will be hearing petitions from NA-55 to NA-67 of the National Assembly and from PP-1 to PP-27 of the Punjab Assembly.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P)
In K-P Justice Mussarat Hilali of the Peshawar High Court (PHC) will hear petitions from NA-18 to NA-33 of the National Assembly and from PK-43 to PK-84 of the K-P Assembly at the principal seat in Peshawar.
She will also be hearing petitions from NA-40 to NA-51 of tribal areas and petitions related to the K-P's reserved seats for women and non-Muslims in the National Assembly and in the provincial assembly at Peshawar.
In Abbottabad bench Justice Lal Jan Khattak will be hearing petitions from NA-11 to NA-17 of the National Assembly and from PK-25 to PK-42 of the provincial assembly.
At Mingora bench Justice Ghazanfar Khan will be hearing petitions from NA-1 to NA-10 of the National Assembly and from PK-1 to PK-42 of the provincial assembly.
At Bannu bench Justice Abdul Shakoor Khan will be hearing petitions from NA-34 to NA-36 of the National Assembly and from PK-85 to PK-93 of the provincial assembly.
At the Dera Ismail Khan bench Justice Ijaz Anwarr will be hearing petitions from NA-37 to NA-39 of the National Assembly and from PK-94 to PK-99 of the provincial assembly.
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