Eligibility: ‘If ECP’s reply is delayed, secy will be summoned’

LHC declares that the secretary would be summoned if a reply was not submitted at the next hearing.

LAHORE:

Justice Shahzada Mazhar of the Lahore High Court on Wednesday gave the Election Commission of Pakistan a final chance to submit its reply on a petition seeking scrutiny of lawmakers under Articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution, saying that the secretary would be summoned if a reply was not submitted at the next hearing.

Javed Badar had filed the petition, saying the ECP, in a report, had admitted that the National Accountability Bureau, the Federal Investigation Agency, the returning officers and had not properly scrutinised the election hopefuls.

He said various political parties had also alleged that the general elections were rigged and many lawmakers were tax defaulters.

The petitioner requested the court to direct the ECP to scrutinise parliamentarians under Article 62 and 63 of the Constitution. The hearing was adjourned till January 22.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 27^th, 2014.