Supreme Court of Pakistan on Tuesday declared the decision of Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) regarding elections of the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa void.
The SC bench, consisting of Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Munib Akhtar, and Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan, deemed the ECP’s plan to conduct polls on October 8 unconstitutional.
The court instructed the ECP to reinstate its previous election schedule, which was to be extended by 13 days. However, the court emphasized that the ECP could not exceed the 90-day limit.
The court noted that 13 days were wasted due to the ECP’s illegal decision. The court also ordered the Punjab caretaker government to support the ECP and requested the ECP to notify the court if the government refused to do so. The court order affirmed that the constitution and laws of the Election Commission did not permit the extension of the election date.
Under the new decision, candidates may file nomination papers starting on April 10. On April 19, the Election Commission will publish the candidate list, and on April 20, electoral symbols will be issued.
The court instructed the government to release Rs 21 billion for Punjab’s elections by April 10, and the ECP to submit a report on the issue to the court on the same day.
If the funds are not provided, the court stated that it would issue an appropriate order. Additionally, the Ministry of Defense submitted a report to the court via Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Awan outlining the availability of security personnel for election duty. A large police contingent was stationed outside the apex court building as a precautionary measure.
