IHC defers ECP appointments case till Jan 15

Chief justice observes that rules devised by a parliamentary committee were not permanent

ISLAMABAD: Islamabad High Court (IHC) Chief Justice Athar Minallah, on the government’s request, has granted another 15 days in the case pertaining to the appointment of Chief Election Commissioner and members of Election Commission of Pakistan.

During the hearing, National Assembly Legal Adviser Abdul Lateef Yousafzai said that the members of ECP panel committee could not reach the Parliament House the last day due to fog.

He said the rules that the former committee had formulated were not workable in the current situation.

The chief justice observed that the rules devised by a parliamentary committee were not permanent and the current committee could formulate its own rules.

The National Assembly legal adviser noted that if the parliament makes a mistake, it rectifies it too.

The IHC CJ replied that parliament can never go wrong it was the representative of 22 million people.

He lamented that the Leader of the House and the Leader of the Opposition could not agree on one name and said that the court only hoped that a name was finalised.

The legal adviser requested the court to grant another 10 days on which the hearing was adjourned till January 15.