Islamabad: A contempt plea was lodged in the Supreme Cout on Saturday against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief Election Commissioner Sikander Sultan Raja, among others, for the postponement of elections in Punjab.
Reports suggest that Advocate G. M. Chaudhry filed the petition in the apex court under Article 204 of the Constitution, read with Sections 3 and 4 of the Contempt of Court Ordinance 2003, for initiating contempt proceedings and directing the respondents to implement the judgement of the apex court passed on March 1, 2023, in a suo motu case regarding elections.
The petitioner also made ECP members, Punjab Caretaker Chief Minister Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi and the chief secretary respondents in the case.
On March 1, the SC ruled that elections for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Punjab assemblies should be held within 90 days. The direction was given by the apex court in the suo motu notice verdict and was announced by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial.
Supreme Court orders elections in Punjab, KP within 90 days
After the verdict, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) March 8 announced that elections in the province would be held on April 30.
On Wednesday, however, the ECP announced the postponement of the elections in Punjab, citing security reasons as the major cause behind the change of plan.
