LHC issues notices to ECP, Punjab governor, seeking date of elections in province

LAHORE, Jan 30 (SABAH): The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday issued notices to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and Punjab Governor Balighur Rehman on a PTI petition seeking the announcement of a date for elections in the province.

The PTI had on Friday had approached the LHC, seeking a direction to the Punjab governor to immediately announce the date of a general election in the province since the assembly had been dissolved.

The petition, filed through PTI General Secretary Asad Umar, stated that more than 10 days had passed since the dissolution of the Punjab Assembly but the respondent [Governor Rehman] had failed to fulfil his constitutional duty of announcing an election date.

At the outset of the hearing on Monday, Justice Jawad Hassan noted that a petition was received seeking direction to the governor for an announcement of polls in the province.

The governor did not sign the notification for the dissolution of the assembly after which the legislature stood automatically dissolved. This means that elections should be held within 90 days,” he observed.

The judge asked the petitioner [PTI] to make ECP a respondent in the case. The PTI counsel abided by the court’s directives.

“Did you write to the governor for the announcement of the date for the election,” Justice Hassan asked the PTI lawyer.

The latter responded that the governor was supposed to fulfil his responsibility under the Constitution.