Three-member bench directs federal govt to provide Rs21b to ECP by April 10 for holding elections n Asks federal govt to provide security personnel to ECP for elections or other purposes by April 17 n Also directs Punjab cabinet, chief secretary and IGP to provide election security plan.
ISLAMABAD - Declaring the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) order of March 22, 2023 unconstitutional, the Supreme Court of Pakistan Tuesday ordered to hold Punjab provincial assembly elections on May 14.
A three-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Umar Ata Bandial, and comprising Justice Ijaz ul Ahsan and Justice Munib Akhtar announced its reserved judgment on the petitions filed by Punjab and KP Speakers and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.
The court order said, “Neither the Constitution nor the law empower the Election Commission to extend the date of elections beyond the 90 days period as provided in Article 224(2) of the Constitution.”
The order further said that the election programme notified by the Commission for the general elections to the Punjab Assembly stands revived and restored immediately with certain modifications. Therefore, last date for filing of appeals against decision of the Returning Officer rejecting/accepting the nomination papers is10.04.2023. Last date for deciding of appeals by the Appellate Tribunal is April 17 and publication of revised list of candidates is April 18 while last date for withdrawal of candidature and publication of revised list of candidates is April 19.
Similarly, allotment of election symbols to contesting candidates is April 20 and the polling day is May 14. The polling day perforce must be shifted, and moved forward from 30.04.2023 to 14.05.2023.
The order said that the federal government shall forthwith and in any case by 10.04.2023 release and provide Rs21 billion fund to the ECP for the general elections to the Punjab and KP Assemblies. It also added that the Commission shall, by 11.04.2023, file a report in the court stating whether the said funds have been provided and received and if so, whether in full or in part.
It further said that the report shall be placed before the members of the bench for consideration in chambers. If the funds have not been provided or there is a shortfall, as the case may be, the court may make such orders and give such directions as are deemed appropriate to such person or authority as necessary in this regard.
Regarding the general elections to the KP Assembly, the court order said that the Governor KP counsel withdrew from such appearance on account of a certain stand taken by a political party to which he was also representing. The KP Governor, therefore, ceased to have representation before the court. In such circumstances, the matter relating to the KP province is not adjudicated upon, with permission granted to the petitioners to file such petition and/or seek such relief before such forum as is deemed appropriate.
The SC order said that the Commission shall be entitled to utilize the funds in the first instance for the purposes of the general elections to the Punjab Assembly. If there is thereafter a shortfall for purposes of the general elections to the KP Assembly, the Commission may make an appropriate representation to this court for such consideration and orders as deemed appropriate.
It added that the Punjab caretaker cabinet and, in particular, the Chief Secretary and the Inspector General Police of that province must forthwith, and not later than 10.04.2023, provide a plan acceptable to the Commission for, inter alia, providing sufficient personnel for election duty and security purposes for the holding of the general election.
The bench said that furthermore, and in any case, the Punjab government and all officials thereof must, in discharge of constitutional and legal duties and responsibilities, proactively provide all aid and assistance to the Commission for the holding and conduct of the general election. It continued that the federal government must, in exercise of its powers and position in terms of Article 243(1) of the Constitution, and all other constitutional and legal powers in discharge of its constitutional duties under Articles 148(3) and 220, provide all such aid and assistance to the Commission as required by it for the holding and conduct of the general elections to the Punjab and KP Assemblies.
The order stated that the federal government must make available all necessary personnel, whether from the Armed Forces, Rangers, Frontier Constabulary and all other forces under the direct, indirect or ultimate command and control of the said government, as are required by the Commission for security and other purposes related to the general elections. In this regard, the federal government must forthwith, and not later than 17.04.2023, provide a plan acceptable to the Commission.
It maintained that if there is a failure by the federal government or the Punjab caretaker government to provide aid and assistance to the Commission and, without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, in particular to comply with what has been set out hereinabove, the Commission may make an appropriate representation to this Court for such consideration and orders as deemed appropriate.
The bench further said that our attention has been drawn to certain matters that were pending in this Court (being SMC 1/2023 and CP Nos. 1 and 2/2023) and which were heard and decided on 01.03.2023 by a five-member Bench of the Court by a majority of 3:2 (CJP Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Munib Akhtar and Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar; Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail dissenting).
In particular, our attention has been drawn to the detailed reasons of the two judges in minority (released on 27.03.2023), wherein it is, inter alia, stated that the said matters were decided (and dismissed) by a majority of 4:3.
The order said: “Respectfully, the position as claimed by the judges in minority is erroneous and not sustainable in law.”
It also said that our attention has also been drawn to an order dated 29.03.2023 made in SMC 4/2022 by a majority of 2:1 by a three-member Bench (Justice Qazi Faez Isa and Justice Aminuddin Khan, and Justice Shahid Waheed dissenting). The hearing of the present matter remained, and its decision by this Bench is, wholly unaffected by any observations made in the aforesaid majority order.