PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court on Thursday gave two more days’ time to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Hajji Ghulam Ali to respond in written to petition seeking orders for the latter to fix the date for provincial assembly’s elections.
A two-judge bench of the PHC, comprising Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim and Justice Syed Arshad Ali, was hearing petitions filed by PTI leaders against not holding the elections within 90 days as enshrined in the Constitution.
PTI leaders including former federal minister Shibli Faraz, provincial ministers Shaukat Yousafzai and Atif Khan, and ex-governor Shah Farman appeared in PHC.
When the court starts proceedings, the bench asked why governor didn’t submit his reply in the case.
Advocate General informed the court that Governor Hajji Ghulam Ali was in Mansehra. He arrived last night and will submit reply within two days.
During the proceedings, the PHC remarked that governor has two days to respond in the case. Those who don’t want to respond, don’t respond, the bench will hear the case, remarked Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim.
The bench remarked that it will hear the case from Monday.
The court adjourned the hearing till February 20.
On February 14, PHC had asked the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and governor to file written replies by Thursday (Feb 16) in response to a PTI petition seeking the announcement of a date for elections in the province.
The governor, however, didn’t respond to the court.
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