Supreme Court to take up case about general elections on Nov 2

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan (SC) has fixed the hearing of a case pertaining to the holding of general elections within 90 days after dissolution of the assemblies on November 2 (Thursday), ARY News reported.  

A three-member Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa and comprising Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Amin ud Din Khan will hear the case.

In the last hearing, the apex court had sought replies from the Federation and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) and others had filed petitions for holding of general elections in 90 days of the assemblies’ dissolution in accordance with the Constitutions.

In the petitions, the Aug 7 notification of the approval of the digital census, 2023, by the Council of Common Interests (CCI), and the amendment to Section 57 of the Elections Act that empowered the chief election commissioner (CEC) to announce the election date, had been challenged.

In the last hearing, the court quoted petitioners and said the election commission had started the delimitation process after the census, which is said to be completed by December 14.

The petitioners are not satisfied with the process of census, its approval and delimitation of constituencies and deemed the whole process an excuse to delay elections, the court noted further.

The petitioners said that holding the elections within 90 days was a constitutional requirement, while it has not been possible after the delimitation of constituencies and the recent census, the court said.

Last month, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) announced that general elections would be held in the last week of January 2024.

“The final delimitation list will be published on November 30,” said ECP, adding that general elections will be held in the last week of January 2024 following the 54-day election schedule.

The electoral body was under immense pressure from the political parties regarding the announcement of the election date.