ISLAMABAD: Amid a brewing rift between the ruling alliance and Apex Court over the polls fiasco, the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) is set to hear the Election Commission of Pakistan’s plea for a review of the apex court’s April 4 order, which directed the holding of elections in the province of Punjab on May 14.
A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial comprising Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan and Justice Munib Akhtar will hear the case.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has filed a review petition in the Supreme Court, requesting the court to reconsider its directives issued on April 4th. The directives pertained to the setting of election dates in the country. In its 14-page petition, the ECP argued that the judiciary does not have the authority to determine the dates of elections, and that such powers exist elsewhere under the Constitution.
The electoral watchdog stated in its petition that the Supreme Court should review its decision and correct the error made in assuming the role of a public body in giving a date for elections. The Commission cited various legalities and reasons behind its statement, pointing out that the apex court disregarded its constitutional jurisdiction.
The ECP emphasized that the Supreme Court’s intervention was necessitated to correct an error that had effectively changed the settled constitutional jurisprudence of the country. The electoral body accused the apex court of overstepping its boundaries and assuming powers that do not lie in a court of law.
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