The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has requested for suspension of the Supreme Court’s decision of holding elections in Punjab on May 14.
The commission made the plea through a separate application, pleading that the Supreme Court should suspend its decision until a verdict on the revision petition on the issue.
“If the decision is not suspended, the election commission will suffer an irreparable loss,” the petition requested.
Earlier, the commission filed a review petition in the Supreme Court on its order seeking elections in Punjab on May 14.
“The judiciary does not have the authority to fix the date for elections,” the petition states, adding the framers of the Constitution did not give the judiciary such a right.
The Supreme Court changed its jurisprudence by giving a date for elections in Punjab, the petition maintained, adding the Supreme Court must correct the mistake it made by giving the election date.
A strong election commission is necessary for a strong democracy in the country, the ECP says in its plea, adding it is impossible to hold free and fair elections without a strong election commission.
“If the election commission makes a mistake in a decision, the judiciary can correct it,” says in the petition.
It further maintains that due to the current atmosphere of political division, free and transparent elections are not possible.
The election commission is facing non-provision of funds and a lack of security personnel, the plea states, adding that without an enabling environment, free and fair elections cannot take place.
“The constitutional limit of holding elections in 90 days should be enforced,” it pleads.
Sources say the election commission officials met with the registrar of the Supreme Court and requested him to fix the review petition for hearing this week.
The officials requested that the matter was urgent, so the hearing should be held soon.
Moreover, the commission removed the objection of the Supreme Court Registrar’s Office on its revision petition. After the objection was removed, the Registrar’s Office sent the note to the chief justice.
The commission added the name of Mehmoodur Rasheed as a party to the review petition, sources said.
The Registrar’s Office had identified an incomplete number of parties in the petition. The name of PTI leader Mehmoodur Rasheed was not included, the sources said, adding his name featured among the parties in the original case.
Revisions must include Mahmud al-Rashid’s name, object, sources The Registrar’s Office directed the Election Commission to remove the objection, sources said
Earlier in the day, the ECP decided to file a review petition today on the Supreme Court’s order to hold elections in Punjab on May 14.
