Wednesday, February 12, 2025
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HomePakistanSupreme Court to revisit ECP Plea on Punjab Poll order today

Supreme Court to revisit ECP Plea on Punjab Poll order today

Big decision alert: Supreme Court to revisit Punjab election order

The Supreme Court of Pakistan is set to revisit the April 4 order, in which it made the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) liable for holding elections in Punjab on May 14. The ECP had appealed against the order, arguing that the judiciary did not have the authority to give a date for the elections. In response, the Supreme Court had ordered the State Bank of Pakistan to allocate and release Rs21 billion to the ECP to ensure that the elections took place on May 14.

However, despite the Court’s order, the ECP did not receive the funds required to hold the elections. The apex court clarified that negotiations between the ruling Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to end the political deadlock on the general election’s timeframe were initiated in a volunteer capacity and that the top court did not issue any direction in this regard.

The PTI, led by Prime Minister Imran Khan, had challenged the ECP’s decision to postpone the Punjab elections to October. The Supreme Court declared the ECP’s decision to be unconstitutional, without lawful authority or jurisdiction, void ab-initio and of no legal effect. The Court directed the ECP to hold the elections on May 14.

The ECP argued that the Supreme Court’s decision to set the date for the elections was illegal and that it did not have the authority to do so. The ECP claimed that such powers existed elsewhere under the Constitution but did not lie in a Court of law. The ECP appealed to the Supreme Court to review its decision and to correct an error that had effectively changed the settled constitutional jurisprudence of the country.

The three-member bench, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan and Justice Munib Akhtar, will take up the ECP’s plea shortly. The Court’s decision on the matter will have significant implications for the country’s electoral system and the role of the judiciary in setting election dates.

It is important to note that the dispute between the PTI and the PDM over the election date has wider political implications. The PTI has argued that the Punjab elections should be held as soon as possible to provide a democratic mandate for its government. The PDM, on the other hand, has accused the PTI of trying to manipulate the electoral process to secure its political position.

The political deadlock over the election date has led to a wider crisis in the country’s democratic institutions. The PDM has accused the PTI government of trying to suppress opposition voices and curtail civil liberties. The PTI has denied these accusations and has argued that it is committed to protecting democratic values and ensuring free and fair elections.

In this context, the Supreme Court’s decision on the ECP’s plea is likely to have far-reaching consequences for the country’s political future. If the Court upholds its earlier decision to set the election date, it will be seen as a victory for the PTI and its supporters. However, if the Court reverses its decision, it will be seen as a victory for the PDM and its supporters.

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Moreover, the Court’s decision will have implications for the role of the judiciary in setting election dates. If the Court upholds its earlier decision, it will be seen as a precedent for future cases in which the judiciary sets the election date. If the Court reverses its decision, it will be seen as a restriction on the judiciary’s power to set election dates.

Election Commission of Pakistan‘s plea to revisit the April 4 order that had made it liable for the electoral body to hold elections in Punjab on May 14 will be taken up by the Supreme Court today. The ECP had requested the court to review its decision, arguing that the judiciary does not have the authority to give the date of elections. Despite the court’s April 4 verdict directing the ECP to hold Punjab polls on May 14, both sides could not develop a consensus on the matter.

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