LAHORE: The governor of Punjab, Baligh ur-Rehman, is seeking clarity on his role in the consultative process for the election date in the province and has decided to approach the Lahore High Court (LHC) for interpretation.
The development follows a meeting with an Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) delegation, which was ordered by the Chief Election Commissioner, Sikander Sultan Raja.
The ECP had requested the meeting to consult on the date for the general elections for the Punjab Assembly, following a verdict issued by the high court last week.
حسب توقع الیکشن کمیشن اورگورنر کے اجلاس میں صرف وقت ضائع کیا گیا،پاکستان کے آئین اور ہائیکورٹ کے احکامات کو مذاق بنا دیا گیا ہے آئین کو ردی کتاب کی طرح لیا جا رہا ہے،عوام کی رائے کی کوئ حیثیت ہے نہ اوقات اگر آئین کی بحالی کیلئےعوام سڑکوں پر نہ نکلے تو پاکستان نو آبادی بن جائیگا
— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) February 14, 2023
On February 10, the court ordered the electoral watchdog to hold elections in the province within 90 days of the dissolution of the assembly.
“The ECP is directed to immediately announce the date of election of the provincial assembly of Punjab with the notification specifying reasons, after consultation with the governor of Punjab, being the constitutional head of the province, to ensure that the elections are held not later than ninety days as per the mandate of the Constitution,” the order had read.
Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) disbanded 397-member Punjab Assembly in January after former prime minister Imran Khan decided to step away from the “corrupt political system” and force snap elections by resigning from the provincial legislatures in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Khan has also banked on his popularity and wide grassroot support to force elections, and has since his ouster staged rallies across the country, calling for the vote.
According to the Constitution, the assembly was automatically disbanded 48 hours after the chief minister called for it to be dissolved. The Constitution also stipulates that elections must be held within 90 days.
Separately, on Tuesday, a petition was filed in the high court asking President Arif Alvi to announce a date for elections in Punjab, citing its order to the election tribunal.
The petitioner has named the federal government, the president, the governor, and the interim government as respondents. The petitioner has also requested that the court order the president to announce the election date under articles 48, 58, and 224 of the Constitution and Section 57 of the Election Act, 2017.
The petitioner is seeking disciplinary action against the governor and the ECP for not following the court order.
