ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Wednesday suspended an order of the Peshawar High Court (PHC) postponing the second phase of the local government elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
A two-judge bench comprising Justice Ijaz ul-Ahsan and Justice Ayesha Malik heard the petition moved by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) against the order passed by the Abbottabad bench of the high court.
A counsel for the ECP, in his arguments before the court, maintained the PHC announced its verdict without hearing their position on the matter.
The notice issued on February 1 was received by the ECP the following and the court had already passed its orders, the lawyer added.
Justice Malik said the bench should have listened to the commission before passing the judgement.
It is not established that weather conditions can affect the LG elections, the apex court bench remarked.
Justice Ahsan wondered why the court was in such a rush to deliver the judgement?
The Supreme Court after suspending the order of the PHC adjourned the further hearing of the case until February 14.
On Tuesday, the ECP filed a plea in the SC for an early hearing of its plea against the order.
Last week, the PHC suspended a notification for holding the second phase of elections and directed the province to hold it after the holy month of Ramadan.
The PHC issued the directions while hearing petitions contending that various districts in the province would be shut by heavy snow in March, following which the voters would struggle to reach polling stations under severe cold and through snow-covered roads.
