SC to hear Punjab tribunals' case on 24th

ISLAMABAD:

The Supreme Court has scheduled a hearing on the Election Commission of Pakistan's (ECP) appeal against the Lahore High Court's (LHC) decision regarding the formation of election tribunals in Punjab.

A five-member larger bench, led by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa and comprising Justice Aminuddin Khan, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan, and Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi, will hear the case on Tuesday, Sept 24.

In the previous hearing, on July 5, the bench had suspended the LHC's decision to establish eight election tribunals until further notice, directing the chief election commissioner and the LHC chief justice to resolve the matter through meaningful consultation.

On May 29, LHC's Justice Shahid Karim ordered the ECP to notify additional election tribunals for Punjab in light of the nominations sent by the high court's chief justice.

The LHC had held that under Article 219(c) read with Article 222(b) of the Constitution, the LHC chief justice had the pre-eminence in the appointment of election tribunals under Section 140 of the Elections Act, 2017.

Later on June 12, the LHC CJ formed eight election tribunals in line with the May 29 order, compelling the ECP to challenge the decision. The ECP had challenged the order in the SC.