Asks poll body to submit revised written schedule on March 10. PHOTO: REUTERS
Acting secretary Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Sher Afgan has informed the Supreme Court that the commission could ensure holding of LG polls in Sindh and Punjab on September 20 if two new printing machines are provided to the Printing Corporation of Pakistan (PCP).
Upon this, the three-judge bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Jawwad S Khawaja, said it is not the job of the court, adding it is the responsibility of the commission to arrange it in order to fulfill its constitutional obligation by ensuring LG polls.
“Neither we have any personal interest in the local government polls nor the court is against the election commission, but we want the commission to obey the commands of the Constitution,” Justice Khawaja said in his remarks.
Meanwhile, the bench rejected the fourth schedule for a multi-phased election. The revised schedule drawn up by the ECP had proposed three phases of polling: the first phase on September 30, the second on November 4 and the third on December 9.
The bench has asked the ECP to hold LG elections in Punjab and Sindh on September 20 and submit the fresh written schedule in this regard on March 10.
The court also rejected the federation’s plea that instead of April 25, the LG elections in cantonment areas be held on May 2.
The acting secretary stated that the ECP had written several letters to the Cabinet division for obtaining one acre of land where printing machines will be set up. Upon this, the bench asked him to give the record of the correspondence with the Cabinet division. It also asked the Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) to look into the matter.
AG Salman Aslam Butt, however, told the bench that chairman PCP has informed him that they are contacting with other printing presses for the early printing of ballot papers.
The court made it clear that the polls in the cantonment areas should be conducted on April 25 and in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) on May 30. The court also summoned the elections schedule for Islamabad on March 10.
During the hearing, the bench expressed annoyance over the acting secretary ECP’s statement regarding the political parties’ stake in the local bodies elections. Justice Khawaja observed that people of Pakistan, and not political parties, are the stakeholders.
Regarding holding of elections in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), the court questioned why the election commission has not yet started the delimitation process in the federal capital despite the fact that a bill for legislation has already been approved by the federal Cabinet.
The attorney general informed the court that the bill for legislation regarding holding of elections in Islamabad will be tabled during the forthcoming session of the National Assembly.
“We had already directed you to conduct delimitation in Islamabad,” the chief justice reminded the ECP secretary and directed him to submit the schedule for holding elections in Islamabad on March 10. “Tell us also as to whether you want to enforce Article 219 of the Constitution or not?” justice Khawaja inquired.
The hearing of the case is adjourned until March 10.
LB elections in Muzaffarabad
The single-member bench of Azad Jammu and Kashmir High Court, headed by Justice M Tabassum Aftab Alvi, asked the government of Azad Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday to conduct the Local Bodies (LB) elections within five months.
The court also directed the government to appoint an election commissioner within a month to organise, conduct and supervise the LB polls.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 7th, 2015.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ