Elections cannot be delayed over LHC RO's verdict: PTI chief

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman Gohar Ali Khan said that upcoming general elections cannot be delayed over LHC verdict regarding returning officers (ROs), ARY News reported.

Addressing a press conference, PTI chief Gohar Ali Khan said that his party has been campaigning for timely elections from day first.

He demanded that the Returning Officers (ROs) shall be selected from the civil judges or sessions judges.

Gohar Ali Khan said that Supreme Court has issued its final order regarding military courts as civilians can be tried only in the civilian courts. He urged Supreme Court to take notice of this matter.

Yesterday, in a significant development ahead of polls, the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday suspended the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) notification to hold general elections in Punjab through the executive.

LHC’s Justice Ali Baqar Najafi announced the verdict on a petition filed by the PTI against the appointment of district returning officers (DROs) and returning officers (ROs) from the bureaucracy of Punjab for the general polls.

The plea

It is pertinent to mention here that the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) had moved the Lahore High Court, challenging the appointment of bureaucrats by the caretaker provincial government in Punjab, to act as returning officers (ROs) for the upcoming general elections.

The court was requested that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) be directed to initiate a consultation process with LHC’s chief justice for the appointment of judicial officers as DROs and ROs under Sections 50 and 51 of the Elections Act 2017 for the polls in 2024.

The provincial election commissioners will administer oath to the DROs, said sources, adding that DROs will administer oath to the ROs in the respective districts.

It was learnt that deputy commissioners (DCs) of all districts were being appointed as the DROs and ADCs will be appointed as the ROs for the National Assembly (NA) seats.

The assistant deputy commissioners will be appointed as the returning officers (ROs) for the provincial assembly (PA) seats.

General elections

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had notified general elections on February 8, 2024.

According to details, the Election Commission issued a notification of the date of the general election under Section 57 of the Election Act۔

The notification said that in light of the Supreme Court’s order, the general elections will take place on February 8, 2024.