SC adjourns hearing of petitions challenging Election Act 2017 till Thursday

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court Wednesday adjourned hearing of petitions challenging Election Act 2017 till Thursday.

A three-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar heard the case. During the course of proceedings, the court sought details from the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) regarding Senate election party tickets submitted by Pakistan Muslim League–Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Pakistan Peoples Party for their respective candidates.

The bench also sought parliamentary debate regarding the 14th Constitutional Amendment which gave immense power to the head of a political parties.

Advocate Salman Akram Raja counsel for the PML-N appeared before the bench and said it depended on the party workers to choose their party head.

He argued that leaders of various parties including Munawar Hussain Soharwardi were disqualified under APDO in 1959 but their vacuum was filled by other forces.

Raja argued that there was a difference between being the party head and parliamentary party leader, explaining that the party head could not direct the parliamentarians.

The chief justice asked if a person could not become a member of the Parliament then how he could lead a party. He asked whether a person involved in heinous crime could become a party chief.

Salman Akram Raja replied that the Parliament had passed a law and law did not bar anyone to become the party head.

Later, the court directed Salman Akram Raja to complete his arguments till Thursday and adjourned hearing of the case.