ISLAMABAD – The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has suspended the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) October 21 notification announcing the schedule for local government elections in the federal capital.
Justice Umer Majid Malik issued the interim stay order while hearing a petition seeking suspension of the electoral process in Islamabad.
Through its written order, the Islamabad High Court accepted the petitioner’s request to halt the election schedule and directed the ECP and other respondents to submit their replies by November 26.
The suspension will remain in place until the next hearing, effectively putting the announced local government election timetable on hold.
The petition was filed by a citizen, Amjad Ali, through his counsel, Advocate Adil Aziz Qazi, challenging the election arrangements announced by the electoral authority.
During the proceedings, the petitioner’s lawyer argued that the Election Commission was constitutionally and legally responsible for ensuring that elections were conducted in a free, fair, transparent and impartial manner.
The petition sought judicial intervention to prevent the local government elections from proceeding under the existing schedule, raising concerns that the electoral process required legal scrutiny.
After considering the request, Justice Malik granted interim relief and suspended the relevant notification while seeking responses from the Election Commission and other parties involved in the case.
The court has fixed November 26 as the deadline for the respondents to submit their replies. Further proceedings will determine the legal questions raised in the petition and whether the suspended election schedule can be restored.
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