LAHORE - The Lahore High Court on Friday postponed by-elections to two seats each of National Assembly and Provincial Assembly in Punjab by setting aside election schedule and directed Chief Election Commissioner Pakistan to afford opportunity of hearing to Punjab Government before issuing fresh schedule. The LHC also directed CECP to consider all the material provided by Punjab government about law and order situation as the entire burden of holding elections falls on its shoulders. Justice Mian Saqib Nisar passed this order while accepting a writ petition filed by Punjab Government, seeking postponement of by-election in the context of deteriorating law and order situation in the province. 'Sufficient chance of hearing should have been given to the petitioner to meet serious allegation levelled by Sheikh Rashid, a candidate from NA-55, in his application under Section 103 of Peoples Representative Act 1976. But the CECP has proceeded with undue hurry that resulted in miscarriage of justice, the judge ruled in his judgement. 'I am of the view that for holding free, fair, smooth and transparent election, the Punjab govt should have been given sufficient opportunity to place its point of view. CECP has not followed the sacred rule: 'No one should be condemned unheard in the case, the judge further said. Chief Election Commission of Pakistan had fixed the date of November 7 for holding polls in NA-123, Lahore, NA-55 Rawalpindi, PP-82, Jhang and PP-284 Bahawalnagar. Now by virtue of LHC 31-page order, the election would not take place in these constituencies. The court said CECP was only concerned about the time frame which had already elapsed in two major constituencies and it did not examine material while passing the order. The court ruled that CECP had postponed the election in the past on the reports of provincial governments, indicating that due weightage had been given to such opinion. The court said: As there is no prohibition and law is silent on the subject, the schedule of by-elections should be set out by considering opinion and material placed by provincial governments before CECP. The court observed: The provincial government should have been heard as the entire burden of arranging the election is to be placed on its shoulder, including providing manpower and ensuring security measures, not only on the polling day rather throughout the campaign as well which is not an easy job these days. 'CECP is still not bound by any opinion of the provincial govt based on unfounded and unsubstantiated reasons, rather he could seek information from other sources of the State, so he can take an independent decision. the judge maintained. Punjab government through its counsel Khawaja Haris had argued that on account of serious threats to the lives of certain political and religious leaders, a grave law and order situation has emerged in the country in general and in the province of Punjab in particular. He stated that suicide attacks had been carried out against the personnel, as well as the institutions of the law enforcement agencies, particularly in Rawalpindi and Lahore. He argued that CEC had passed impugned order in contravention of the settled principles of 'audi alteram partem (no one should be condemned unheard). He submitted that due to certain arrangements made during the holy month of Ramazan, the Home Secretary had requested the CEC to defer the hearing and fix some date, preferably after Eid-ul-Fitr. However, the CEC did not wait even for one week and passed an order, fixing November 7 as the date for the holding of the by-election. He prayed to the court to postpone election, keeping in view the bad law and order situation in the province.