ISLAMABAD – Supreme Court deferred proceedings in a petition seeking the Ministry of Defence’s plea seeking elections to be held in one go and warned of ‘grave’ consequences if the court orders were not followed.
During the hearing, the country’s top judge Umar Ata Bandial stated that the court has already announced its decision regarding elections on May 14 and cannot void the ruling.
CJP stated that the court will only look for a way forward, directing the attorney general to communicate court instructions to the government. CJP asked Attorney General for assurance that things to be better on October 8.
The court stated that it seemed that the defence ministry justified its view in light of estimates, but maintained that countries cannot be run on estimates. CJP also observed that the security situation remained worse back in 2008 and 2013 but elections were held as per schedule.
After arguments, CJP Bandial warned of serious consequences if the federal government did not release funds stating that it is the constitutional duty of the officials to provide funds for conducting the polls.
At one point, the chief justice said the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had expressed its inability to conduct elections before October this year, adding that the ECP had also pitched the idea of holding polls across the country simultaneously. He remarked that Pakistan had been facing terrorism since 1992 but elections had been held in preceding years.
On Tuesday, the Ministry of Defence which is responsible for allocating armed forces for the elections, moved the Supreme Court seeking elections across the country on the same date. The ministry’s view is in line with the federal government’s stance, which has persistently opposed holding separate general elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The tenure of the National Assembly and the legislature of two other provinces i.e. Sindh and Balochistan, will end later this year and the federal government wants the polls to take place then, not in May, as directed by the Supreme Court on April 4.
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