SC cannot order army to provide security for conducting polls: Justice (retd) Shaiq Usmani

ISLAMABAD, April 5 (SABAH): Reputed legal expert Justice (retd) Shaiq Usmani has said that Supreme Court of Pakistan cannot order army to provide security for holding elections.

Justice (retd) Shaiq Usmani expressed these views during in an interview with a private TV channel. He said it was not easy to force the government on holding elections as it has many options to avail like it may impose emergency in the country though it continues or not, it is a separate issue.

Government and opposition both may resolve the current issues otherwise infightings would remain as it is, he said and added if government hell-bent upon not holding elections then no-one could force it to do so. He said it was difficult task to order army to deploy its personnel for holding elections as Supreme Court cannot order army as if army argues that its personnel were busy, hence cannot provide security for the purpose then the court will be helpless. However, the court will have to adopt some particular course to sort out the issue, he added.

He said it was not clear that elections are going to be held at any costs as he was smelling besides it was apparent from the attitude of government representatives. He said the court’s verdict about holding elections in Punjab was conditional one that the federal government will provide security because security is main concern in our country.

In Pakistan, elections are not held on the lines of those in civilized countries as a number of clashes erupt even resulting in m