The Supreme Court of Pakistan, located in Islamabad (PPAI), has upheld its decision to maintain the scheduling of the elections in Punjab on May 14th, disregarding the Election Commission’s appeal for a reconsideration. Chief Justice Omar Ata Bandial stated that the court would intervene in case of any violation of the constitution. Justice Ejaz-ul-Hasan mentioned that the Constitution doesn’t grant the Election Commission the authority to postpone election dates.
A three-member bench, led by Chief Justice Omar Ata Bandial, presided over the hearing, with Justice Ejaz-ul-Hasan and Justice Muneeb Akhtar as part of the panel. At the start of the hearing, Election Commission’s lawyer, Sajid Swati, pointed out that a detailed decision regarding Punjab elections was issued by the Supreme Court two weeks prior. He further expressed the need to submit additional documents in light of the court’s decision.
Sajid Swati, the Election Commission’s lawyer, highlighted that the powers of the Election Commission have been expanded to some extent to set election dates, to which Justice Muneeb Akhtar responded that this matter is not related to the ongoing case. The Election Commission’s legal team requested an extension of time until next week to prepare their arguments. Justice Muneeb responded by stating that the case in question has already been concluded based on the decision that was reached.
In essence, the Supreme Court of Pakistan has upheld its previous decision to maintain the election date for Punjab on May 14th. Chief Justice Omar Ata bandial emphasized the court’s commitment to ensuring constitutional adherence and mentioned that the court would intervene if the constitution is violated. The bench further clarified that the Election Commission’s authority doesn’t encompass the power to alter election dates. This ruling comes after a detailed decision was issued two weeks ago, with the court’s panel led by Chief Justice Omar Ata Bandial, and including Justices Ejaz-ul-Hasan and Muneeb Akhtar. The Election Commission’s appeal for reconsideration was rejected, and the election date remains as scheduled.
