ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan has dismissed the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) plea in the election tribunals case, local media reported on Thursday. The Apex Court has sent the case to the three-member Supreme Court committee for the constitution of a larger bench over the said matter. The development comes as a two-member bench of the SC heard the ECP’s petition filed against the LHC’s decision wherein the SC had constituted election tribunals about multiple constituencies in Punjab.
During the hearing, the CJP has remarked, “Is it necessary to make everything controversial in Pakistan? The CJP also remarked that differences also emerged between the President and Election Commission over the general polls schedule. Two-member bench comprising Chief Justice and Justice Naeem Afnan is hearing the case. He said that the parliament should be shut down if run the country via ordinance.
Sikander Bashir represented the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and Salman Akram Raja was the lawyer of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in the case. The ECP lawyer has informed the Apex Court that the case is pertaining to the interpretation of Article 219(C) of the Constitution of Pakistan.
The CJP asked Sikander Bashir to tell the apex court regarding some facts of the case. After direction of the CJP, the ECP lawyer informed the apex court that on Feb 14 last, the commission dispatched letters to all High Courts about formation of the tribunals. He stated that formation of the tribunals falls under the purview of the commission.
