PESHAWAR (Web Desk) – The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Monday reserved its verdict regarding Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) plea for the upcoming general elections to be conducted under the judiciary's supervision.
The two-member PHC bench, led by Chief Justice Mohammad Ibrahim Khan and Justice Shakeel Ahmed, oversaw the proceedings prompted by PTI's Advocate Muazzam Butt. The plea challenged the Election Commission of Pakistan's (ECP) appointment of returning officers (ROs) and district returning officers (DROs) for the elections scheduled on Feb 8, 2024.
PTI's counsel argued that the deployment of polling staff should have occurred two months before the elections, raising concerns about the ECP's readiness for transparent polls.
Chief Justice Ibrahim referenced a recent Supreme Court ruling that halted the Lahore High Court's decision against the ECP's selection of ROs and DROs from the bureaucracy, stating the PHC's adherence to the SC's directive.
In response to the PTI's claims, the PHC inquired about the ECP's consultation process with the chief justice and the National Judicial Policy Committee concerning election transparency.
The ECP's representative defended their stance, citing their authority post the Supreme Court's ruling and addressing concerns over mass arrests in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). The PHC expressed apprehensions about conducting fair elections amidst extensive MPO-3 orders and highlighted the need for a change in the officials' approach.
Later, after hearing both the parties, the court reserved the verdict.