'Punjab interim govt will hold elections as per ECP's instructions'
Pakistan
ECP calls a consultative meeting to deliberate elections in Punjab
LAHORE (Dunya News) – Punjab caretaker government on Tuesday said it would start preparations for holding elections in Punjab on the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) instructions.
Punjab interim CM Mohsin Naqvi said the caretaker government would coordinate with the ECP.
On the other hand, as the Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday announced the verdict it had reserved on Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) elections, the ECP called a consultative meeting on Wednesday to deliberate on elections in Punjab.
Sources said that the ECP would overview the apex court’s order and the commission’s lawyers would brief the meeting on holding elections the SC ordered to hold on May 14. “The ECP will convene the meeting after it gets the copy of the detailed judgement issued by the court”, he added.
Earlier, the SC had declared the order of the ECP regarding delay in elections in Punjab null and void, ordering polls on May 14.
Apex court's three-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Munib Akhtar and Justice Ijazul Ahsan, issued the unanimous verdict reserved on Monday after hearing arguments from the parties concerned. It also ruled that the ECP carried out an unconstitutional act by delaying the polls.
Imran Khan-led party had filed the petition regarding delay in elections after the ECP on March 22 put off the polls till Oct 8, citing financial and security constraints.
Key Points of the verdict
- ECP’s March 22 order declared null and void
- Elections in Punjab to be held on May 14
- SC orders govt to provide Rs21 billion funds for elections
