It is evident that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) lacks the jurisdiction to extend the polling date, according to Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial on Tuesday.
Remarks made by the CJP at the hearing of a petition by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) challenging the ECP’s decision to push out elections in Punjab till October 8.
Usman Awan, the Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP), questioned the PTI petition’s viability as the proceedings got underway.
He claimed that the Lahore High Court (LHC) should be consulted regarding election-related issues after two judges on the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) released a detailed opinion in which they stated that the earlier suo motu in the case was dismissed by a 4–3 vote.
The LHC, he claimed, had not granted the president the right to reveal the election’s date. The AGP also requested the court to constitute a full bench to preside over the case.
