ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) announced to file a contempt of court petition against the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) following the Supreme Court of Pakistan dismissed the election body’s review petition with regard to the conduct of elections in Punjab in the wake of the dissolution of the Punjab provincial assembly on January 14, 2023.
The PTI announced this through a statement by a spokesperson of the party, saying the party intends to file a contempt of court petition against the ECP, adding that the ECP has committed a clear deviation from the Constitution for not conducting elections following the dissolution of the provincial assemblies of Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
The PTI spokesperson further stated that the party will file a contempt of court petition in the Supreme Court against the Chief Election Commissioner and the ECP members and demand that they be held accountable.
“Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf took the constitutional and democratic step of dissolving the assemblies in Punjab and Pakhtunkhwa while staying within the limits of the Constitution. The constitution obliges the Election Commission to hold elections within 90 days in case of premature dissolution of assemblies,” it added.
After a detailed hearing, it stated that the Supreme Court interpreted the constitutional order of elections in 90 days and made the ECP bound to conduct elections in Punjab on May 14, 2023. “The Election Commission took the criminal step of postponing the elections for an indefinite period instead of following the intent of the Constitution and the order of the Supreme Court,” the PTI further stated, adding that the apex court, in its detailed judgment on the matter, described and explained the “criminal” role of the ECP.
Even during the hearing on the revision petition, it added that the ECP completely failed to satisfy the court on the constitutional measures taken against it.” The Supreme Court’s dismissal of the Election Commission’s review petition against the April 4 decision of the Supreme Court is actually an indictment against the Election Commission,” it further stated.
After the dissolution of the National Assembly, it added that the ECP’s agenda of “deviating” from the Constitution in the matter of national elections is now obvious to the nation. “The continuous deviation from the constitution and depriving the citizens of the basic right to vote by the institution responsible for conducting clean and transparent elections in the country must stop now,” the statement further read.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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