Pakistan

elec-tion-ary: [Election-in-1970]

Announcement of election, 1977.

Our Correspondent April 15, 2013

Justice Ghulam Rasool Sheikh retired as a judge in March 1975 and was replaced by Justice Abdul Hafeez Memon of the same high court as member of commission. DESIGN: EMA ANIS

ISLAMABAD: Under the 1973 Constitution, the term of the National Assembly was to expire on August 14, 1977 and general elections were to be held on the same date. Addressing the final session of the NA on January 7, 1977, the then prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto announced that he would be advising the president to dissolve the assembly on January 10 and that general elections would then be held on March 7, 1977.

The four provincial assemblies were dissolved on January 13 and elections were scheduled for March 10, 1977.

Election Commission

According to Article 218(2) of the Constitution, the election commission should constitute of an election commissioner along with two members, both of whom should be sitting judges. Acting in par with the Constitution, Justice Sajjad Ahmed Jan was appointed as the chief election commissioner on April 5 1973.

Following his appointment, the president, through a notification, appointed Justice Ghulam Rasul Sheikh and Justice Saad Saood Jan of Lahore High Court as members of the election commission.

Justice Ghulam Rasool Sheikh retired as a judge in March 1975 and was replaced by Justice Abdul Hafeez Memon of the same high court as member of commission. The chief election commissioner’s term, which was to expire on April 4 1976, was extended for an indefinite period on March 29, 1976.

Minister for Provincial Coordination and Education Abdul Hafeez Pirzada in a session explained to the lower house that the extension period was not being specified since the incumbent CEC would continue on his post, unless the new appointment was made, which was to be held be within a year.

This meant that the CEC’s extended term was to expire in April 1977 which was immediately after the general elections. The National Assembly, however, unanimously adopted another resolution on January 7, 1977 extending the CEC’s term by three more years. This was the last business transacted by the assembly. Prime Minister Z A Bhutto told the house that the resolution was brought to inspire confidence in the impartiality of the commissioner.

(Courtesy: The Free and Fair Election Network: FAFEN)

Published in The Express Tribune, April 15^th, 2013.