The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday reserved a verdict on the petitions filed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and others over delay in announcement of date for elections in Punjab.
LHC Justice Jawad Hassan reserved the ruling after hearing arguments from the PTI, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), Punjab Governor Balighur Rehman and federal government. The court would announce the verdict later today (Friday).
During the hearing, the governor’s lawyer maintained that Mr Rehman was not liable to give a date for elections when an interim cabinet has been formed. He pleaded the court to return the pleas as inadmissible with a fine on the petitioner.
IGP Punjab Usman Anwar and chief secretary also attended the hearing and assured that they would implement the decision of the court.
PTI lawyer Barrister Ali Zafar said President Arif Alvi could give a date for election as the IGP and chief secretary had assured of performing their duties. He said the president could announce the date through a notification.
A day earlier, the governor also submitted his response in an identical petition filed by a citizen Munir Ahmed, stating: “It is emphatically denied that the answering respondent No 1 was in any manner obligated to appoint the date of elections when he has never dissolved the Assembly while acting on the so-called advice of the Chief Minister”.
He also rejected an impression that his move is creating any hurdles in the way of ECP to discharge its duties, calling the allegations “fallacious”.
During Thursday’s hearing, Mr Chaudhry pleaded the court to decide the case tomorrow (Friday) as further delay would affect the 90-day period enshrined in the Constitution for holding the elections.
The ECP lawyer told the court the electoral body was facing various impediments in holding the elections, including funds. The federal government’s lawyer, however, requested the judge to form a larger bench to hear the case.
The PTI lawyer said the government and the ECP were not serious in holding elections timely. Asad Umar warned that a Constitutional crisis would emerge if a date for elections was not announced within three days.
On Jan 14, the Punjab Assembly was dissolved without a nod from the Punjab governor. As per the law, the assembly stands dissolved within 48 hours of advice made by the chief minister whether the summary is not approved by the governor.
