SC to hear PTI’s plea on biometric verification in four constituencies on Tuesday

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court will hear Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) plea on thumbprint verification in four constituencies on Tuesday.

A two judge bench of the apex court, comprising Justice Mian Saqib Nisar and Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan, will take up the petition filed by the PTI and Workers Party Pakistan regarding the non-implementation of its June 8, 2012, ruling on the introduction of electoral reforms during the May 2013 general elections. The case has been listed in the supplementary list issued on Monday evening.

Last year, PTI, through its counsel Hamid Khan, had submitted an application regarding how the court’s directions in the Workers’ Party case had been flouted by the Election Commission. In its application, PTI had also sought ‘verification of thumbprint impressions’ in NA-110, NA-122, NA-125 and NA-154.

However, the court has yet to respond to the government’s request for forming a three-member panel to probe PTI chief Imran Khan’s allegations of rigging in the 2013 general elections.

In a letter addressed to the court’s registrar on August 13, then Law Secretary Barrister Zafarullah Khan had said that the government had decided to constitute an inquiry commission. But the apex court has yet to act upon the government’s plea.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) submitted through Additional Secretary Sher Afgan that the election plan for last year’s polls had been chalked out by returning officers (ROs).

The ECP stated that in view of chapter-III of the Representation of People’s Act 1976, the poll body had appointed district retuning officers, returning officers and assisting returning officers from the lower judiciary during the May 11, 2013 elections.

These ROs, according to the reply, were directed to prepare a list of polling stations for each constituency under their jurisdiction.