The Supreme Court (SC) will on Monday resume hearing the PTI petition challenging the Election Commission of Pakistan’s decision to postpone polls in Punjab till Oct 8 as the coalition government has expressed “complete no-confidence” in the three-member bench conducting the proceedings.
The bench — headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umer Ata Bandial — will take up the suo motu as well as the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) petition challenging the order of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for postponing the Punjab election to October 8.
The Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) the other day expressed dissatisfaction with the bench hearing the matter and urged for the formation of a full court.
During the last hearing, Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Usman Awan, as well as the Pakistan Bar Council, had requested the court to constitute a full court for hearing the matter.
The CJP-led bench, however, rejected the government’s request.
The court had summoned the secretary of finance and secretary of defence for today.
On Friday, the apex court gave time to the AGP to submit a reply to the questions put to him on the financial and security issues raised by the Election Commission.
On the other hand, PTI has slammed the government for “attacking” the Constitution and fired a broadside at the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) stating that the party has decided to pressurise the country’s top court.
Speaking to the media in Karachi on Sunday, PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi said the ruling coalition’s decision to file a reference against three SC judges was a signal to pressurise them.
It seems like the decision to file the reference has been made, he added.
Three-member SC bench to resume election delay case hearing today
