Punjab elections: PA speaker requests president to fix date

LAHORE: Punjab Assembly Speaker Sibtain Khan has formally requested President Dr Arif Alvi to fix the Punjab election date, ARY News reported on Thursday.

PA Speaker Sibtain Khan wrote a letter to President Dr Arif Alvi to request him to fix the Punjab election date. Copies of the letter were also sent to the chief election commissioner (CEC) and the Punjab governor.

It stated that the then Punjab chief minister had sent a summary to the governor on January 12 for the dissolution of the provincial assembly. The assembly had been dissolved on January 14 following the CM’s summary.

READ: PUNJAB ELECTIONS: ECP TO CONSULT WITH GOVERNOR ON POLLING DATE

Sibtain Khan stated in his letter that he asked the governor on January 20 to fix the election date within 90 days, whereas, the ECP also demanded the governor on January 24 to unveil the election date.

He added that the governor adopted a stance that the assembly was not dissolved on his directions and Article 105(3) cannot be applied to him.

Khan added that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) challenged the matter to the Lahore High Court and later the LHC ordered the ECP to announce the election date after consulting the governor.

Despite the court orders, the governor and the election commission exhibited a delay in announcing the election date. The PA speaker termed the non-compliance with the court orders and relevant responsibilities as a constitutional violation.

READ: FAWAD CHAUDHRY SLAMS ECP FOR DELAYING MEETING ON PUNJAB ELECTIONS

The speaker said that the intervention of the president is inevitable for stopping the ECP from constitutional violation. He added that the president has powers under Article 57(1) of the Election Act 2017 to interfere and stop the constitutional violation besides announcing the election date in Punjab.

CJP asked for suo motu

A Supreme Court (SC) bench asked Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial to take suo motu of the delay in announcement of date for elections in Punjab.

A two-member bench consisting of Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi heard a petition against the transfer of Ghulam Mahmood Dogar as the Lahore capital city police officer (CCPO).

During the hearing, the Supreme Court sought a detailed report from Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikander Sultan Raja regarding the obstacles in the way of the Punjab elections.

The bench referred the matter to CJP Umar Ata Bandial to take suo motu, saying that the delay in provincial assembly elections was a violation of the Constitution. “Upholding the Constitution is our constitutional, legal and moral duty,” the SC said, warning of violation of fundamental rights.