KP Governor invites ECP for consultation on election date

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Governor Haji Ghulam Ali has invited the officials from the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to consult on date for the general election in the province, ARY News reported on Monday.

Following the Supreme Court’s order, the KP governor penned down a letter to electoral watchdog, inviting the commission for consultations on the elections on March 7 or 8.

The letter was penned down in response to a letter sent by the ECP for the announcement of the election date.

Earlier, the ECP had written a letter to Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Haji Ghulam Ali, stating that he must consult with the commission and announce a date for election in the province.

SC verdict

The Supreme Court, in a 3-2 verdict, ruled on Wednesday that elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab should be held within 90 days.

CJP Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Munib Akhtar and Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar supported the verdict, while Justice Jamal Mandokhail and Justice Mansoor Ali Shah opposed the admissibility of the suo moto notice and dissented from the majority verdict.

Justice Shah and Justice Mandokhail in their dissenting notes agreed with the position of Justice Yahya Afridi and Justice Athar Minallah. “The matter was already being heard in the high courts, Supreme Court cannot take suo moto notice on the undertrial cases in the high courts.”

The short verdict stated that the Election Commission of Pakistan failed in discharging its role in the election. The announcement of the election date in KP is the responsibility of the provincial governor, while the president has the authority as per law and constitution to fix the election date in Punjab.

The verdict further stated a consultation to fix the date of elections in Punjab, if they are not possible on April 9, the date announced by the president.