Punjab polls: SC takes up Election Commission's review petition

The Supreme Court started is hearing the country’s top electoral authority’s petition, seeking a review of the top court’s decision to have snap polls in Punjab.

A three-member bench comprising CJP Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ijazul Ahsan, and Justice Munib Akhtar is presiding over the case.

On Tuesday, the counsel for the PTI sunmitted the reply from the party, opposing the ECP’s argument for a change in the date, which has already passed. The PTI said ECP was advancing fresh argument at the review stage – something that is not allowed in the law.

The ECP, which had already submitted it reply, said it had not received the replies submitted by the government and the PTI and it should be allowed more time to go through the submissions.

The federal government and the caretaker government of Punjab have submitted separate responses to the Supreme Court, while the same position has been adopted in the separate responses to review the decision.

In the separate responses of the federal and Punjab governments, the orders to hold elections on May 14 have been declared as a violation of the constitutional division of powers. The incidents of May 9 have also been cited by the Punjab government, and both have requested the Supreme Court to review the April 4 verdict.

In its response, the federal government has said that the election commission has the constitutional responsibility to conduct free and transparent elections. The Supreme Court itself invalidated the authority of the election commission by giving a date.  The central government is determined that the elections in Punjab should be held with the National Assembly.

The caretaker government of Punjab took the stand that giving the date of May 14 for the election in the province is a violation of the constitutional division of powers, on the basis of this the Supreme Court did not give the date for the election in KP.

In the reply, it is further stated that after the arrest of Imran Khan, civil and military properties were damaged in violent protests, the security situation in the province has changed after the events of May 9, and 554,000 security personnel are required for the elections in Punjab. Only 77 thousand people are available.

via Original Source