Staff Reporter Islamabad
A Supreme Court (SC) bench on Thursday ordered the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to fix dates for local government elections within a week.
“We are our own enemies, not requiring an external foe, if we fail in compliance of the constitution,” Justice Qazi Faez Isa remarked in the hearing.
The court adjourned further hearing of the case for a week. “Why the local councils elections not being held, why the people are being deprived of democracy,” Justice Faez Isa earlier questioned. “The supreme court’s order was being violated by not holding the local government polls,” the learned justice remarked.
Justice Isa in a reference to the Article 6 of the constitution said those hindering enforcement of the constitution were committing an act of high treason.
“It is responsibility of the election commission to hold elections but it didn’t fulfill this constitutional responsibility while around two years have passed to the completion of the previous local government term”, the court remarked.
Referring to the Article 6 of the Constitution, the senior judge said, “those creating hurdles in the Constitution’s implementation are committing high treason. He advised the CEC to “step down from your post if you cannot organise the elections.”
