A latest development, which can be described as a game changer, about the nature of election tribunals means that the country’s top electoral body now enjoys powers to appoint judges for hearing the complaints.
According to the sources in law ministry, the Election Commission of Pakistan has also got the authority to transfer the pending cases to the new tribunals.
It means, the sources added, the ECP is going to set up new tribunals comprising retired high court judges, as the latest ordinance issued to amend the Election Act 2017 has restored its Section 140 in the original shape.
Hence, the ECP can appoint retired judges to the election tribunals without consulting the high court chief justices.