ECP moves to put in place poll plan

Seeks judiciary for appellate tribunals; issues PM notice for removal of ‘politically affiliated’ ministers, advisers

ISLAMABAD:

A day after the Supreme Court suspended the Dec 13 Lahore High Court (LHC) order staying the appointment of district returning officers (DROs), returning officers (ROs), and assistant returning officers (AROs) from the executive, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Saturday took emergency measures in an effort to ensure the upcoming elections are controversy-free.

In this regard, the commission decided to approach the judiciary to set up appellate tribunals for the general polls.

The ECP, in an urgent letter written to the four provincial election commissioners, instructed them to contact the chief justices of all the high courts in the country for the purpose.

The commission told them to seek the suggestions of the high court chief justices for the appellate tribunals. It added that the tribunals would comprise high court judges. The decisions of the ROs can be challenged before the appellate tribunals.

Earlier, the ECP notified that the paused process of training of DROs and ROs would kick off again in line with the Supreme Court’s order.

In this connection, the ECP has written a letter to the provincial election commissions.

A total of 142 DROs and 859 ROs will be trained across the country.

According to the letter, the training of DROs and ROs will be held on Dec 17 and 18. The DROs will be trained on Dec 19 as well.

A total of 40 training sessions are scheduled simultaneously across the country.

Read also: Supreme Court clears path for election

The objective of the training is to equip the DROs and ROs with the necessary skills to effectively carry out electoral responsibilities.

On Thursday, the ECP stopped the three-day training of the officers responsible for overseeing electoral activities following the ruling of Lahore High Court’s Justice Ali Baqar Najafi issued on a petition filed by PTI Additional Secretary General Barrister Umair Niazi that the DROs and ROs would not appointed from the bureaucracy of Punjab – a development that could have potentially delayed the upcoming general polls scheduled for Feb 8.

On Friday, the SC suspended the LHC’s ruling against the appointment of the DROs and ROs.

A three-judge SC bench, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa and comprising justices Mansoor Ali Shah and Sardar Tariq Masood, passed the order on a petition filed by the ECP challenging the LHC verdict.

The top court, in its order, termed the LHC’s order “irresponsible” that was delivered in “haste”. It directed the high court not to proceed further on the PTI’s petition.

The SC sought complete record of the case from the high court and ordered that a show-cause notice be issued to PTI’s Niazi, seeking an explanation as to why contempt proceedings should not be initiated against him.

Telling the ECP lawyer to read out the SC’s Nov 3 order, which stressed that the general elections should take place on Feb 8, the CJP noted that Niazi’s petition was a violation of the top court’s verdict.

CJP Isa ordered that the PTI’s petition should be forwarded to the SC to determine its maintainability.

Read: ECP issues election schedule after SC’s intervention

He continued that the top court would hear the petition itself if it deemed it appropriate. However, he observed that the PTI’s plea, as filed, appeared not to be maintainable.

Meanwhile, the ECP fixed an application for hearing on Dec 19 that sought the removal of interim ministers/advisers with political background for the sake of holding “fair and transparent” elections.

The polls supervisor issued notices to caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar, interim Minister Fawad Hasan Fawad and PM aide Ahad Cheema.

The ECP also issued a notice to petitioner Azizuddin Kakakhel.

The petitioner had sought removal of “biased ministers” from the caretaker cabinet.

Following the announcement of general polls a day earlier, the ECP on Saturday cancelled the holidays of the election staff across the country.

The regional ECP offices will also remain open on Saturdays and Sundays and in contact with the provincial election commission offices.

The election supervisor has also imposed a countrywide ban on the transfer and postings of the government officials.

The ECP directed that the matter should be referred to it along with reasons in case of any urgent posting or transfer.