Supreme Court takes up ECP’s plea on Punjab election verdict today

ISLAMABAD – Supreme Court of Pakistan will resume hearing the Election Commission of Pakistan’s review petition against its April 4 order today on Tuesday.

Three-member bench, spearheaded by Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Munib Akhtar will hear the case in which earlier notices were issued to the respondents, Attorney General for Pakistan and the Advocate Generals of the Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

Earlier, the Punjab caretaker setup and federal government submitted responses to the apex court, in which incumbent officials took a stance that Supreme Court exceeded its authority by setting the election date, and they prayed the court to review its decision made on April 4.

Meanwhile, the deadline announced by the bench for general elections expired on May 14, and the government has not provided any funds and security personnel to the Commission.

The government, on the other hand, maintained that the authority to announce election date lies with the Election Commission of Pakistan, and it said the court undermined the authority of the electoral watchdog by setting a specific election date.

It also termed Supreme Court’s verdict in violation of the constitutional division of powers.

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