- Court orders Assistant Attorney General should submit a written statement at next hearing
LAHORE: A full bench of the Lahore High Court (LHC) restrained the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) from a verdict on the intra-party election case of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI).
The development comes the five-member LHC bench, led by Justice Shams Mehmood Mirza heard two separate petitions filed by the PTI and its chairman Barrister Gohar Khan against the commission’s orders for an inquiry into its intra-party polls and non-allotment of electoral symbol “bat”.
The written order said that the ECP requested to adjourn the case. The court restrained the Election Commission from taking a final decision on the PTI intra-party election.
The court order further said that the Assistant Attorney General should submit a written statement at the next hearing. Later, the court adjourned the hearing till December 13.
The petitions raised objections to the ECP’s jurisdiction to hold an inquiry into the intra-party’s polls. It also objected to the failure to return the items seized during a raid on the PTI office by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).
The petitions pointed out that the ECP’s behaviour was biased and arbitrary orders were being issued. They requested the court to set aside the decision of the ECP for being illegal.
The ECP had instructed the PTI to approach the competent court of law for the return of files, computers, hard drives, etc. seized by the FIA.
The commission had also rejected a plea of the PTI to stay the proceedings of intra-party election matter till announcement of a detailed judgment by the Supreme Court in the reserved seats case.
