Army, FC can assist ECP in elections, reiterates SC
The bench stated that there should be no delay in elections due to inaccuracies in the lists.
ISLAMABAD:
The Supreme Court reiterated that the Army and Frontier Corps (FC) can be called to assist the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in the next general elections, as per its July 4 orders.
Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, heading a three-member bench, was hearing a petition on Wednesday regarding bogus votes filed by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan. Justice Azmat Sheikh Saeed and Justice Gulzar Ahmad were the other two members of the bench.
During the hearing, Jamaat-i-Islami’s (JI) counsel Rasheed A Rizvi informed the court that the ECP shifted votes of a huge number of migrants, particularly from Karachi, to their permanent addresses without their consent.
In reply, Director General ECP Sher Afghan said that the election body could not approach the migrants due to floods in Sindh and therefore, after due deliberation with National Database and Regulatory Authority (NADRA), votes of these people were registered on their permanent addresses.
Rizvi snubbed the move saying that these people have been living in the province since long and it was not possible for them to cast their votes in their native towns.
After hearing the arguments, the court maintained that the ECP cannot register votes to any other place without consent of the voters and the exercise was against its own laws and rules.
According to Express News, the court also ordered that the errors in electoral lists be removed and the lists be finalised on an emergency basis.
The bench stated that there should be no delay in elections due to inaccuracies in the lists.
The court adjourned the hearing till Thursday (tomorrow).
On February 3, Imran’s lawyer Hamid Khan had filed a follow-up application that despite clear directions by the apex court, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had issued a notification for by-elections without preparing corrected electoral rolls that eliminated bogus voters.
In his civil miscellaneous appeal, Imran has requested the court to restrain the ECP from holding by-elections on these voter lists.
The Supreme Court reiterated that the Army and Frontier Corps (FC) can be called to assist the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in the next general elections, as per its July 4 orders.
Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, heading a three-member bench, was hearing a petition on Wednesday regarding bogus votes filed by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan. Justice Azmat Sheikh Saeed and Justice Gulzar Ahmad were the other two members of the bench.
During the hearing, Jamaat-i-Islami’s (JI) counsel Rasheed A Rizvi informed the court that the ECP shifted votes of a huge number of migrants, particularly from Karachi, to their permanent addresses without their consent.
In reply, Director General ECP Sher Afghan said that the election body could not approach the migrants due to floods in Sindh and therefore, after due deliberation with National Database and Regulatory Authority (NADRA), votes of these people were registered on their permanent addresses.
Rizvi snubbed the move saying that these people have been living in the province since long and it was not possible for them to cast their votes in their native towns.
After hearing the arguments, the court maintained that the ECP cannot register votes to any other place without consent of the voters and the exercise was against its own laws and rules.
According to Express News, the court also ordered that the errors in electoral lists be removed and the lists be finalised on an emergency basis.
The bench stated that there should be no delay in elections due to inaccuracies in the lists.
The court adjourned the hearing till Thursday (tomorrow).
On February 3, Imran’s lawyer Hamid Khan had filed a follow-up application that despite clear directions by the apex court, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had issued a notification for by-elections without preparing corrected electoral rolls that eliminated bogus voters.
In his civil miscellaneous appeal, Imran has requested the court to restrain the ECP from holding by-elections on these voter lists.