ISLAMABAD - The Supreme Court of Pakistan was urged to initiate contempt of court proceedings against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Governor Haji Gulam Ali for not fixing any date for holding provincial assembly’s elections, and punish him accordingly.
KP Speaker Mushtaq Ahmed Ghani Monday filed a contempt petition under Article 204 of the Constitution read with Section 3 of the Contempt of Court Ordinance, 2003 and Order XVII of the Supreme Court Rules. He further requested the apex court to get its order dated 01.03.2023 implemented without any further delay. He stated that the KP governor after meeting with the Chief Election Commissioner and the other ECP members on Martch 14, while talking to a few journalists announced that he had finalised May 28 as the proposed date for general elections in KP and will soon issue a formal letter to this effect to the Election Commission. However, he added that no such letter appointing the date of poll, as promised, was issued and things appeared to have been intentionally relegated to some proverbial backburner for no valid rhyme or reasons. He further stated that a letter under his hand, started making rounds on the social media and other news platforms, wherein Contemnor/Respondent No. 1 is trying to justify that general elections should not take place in KP on multiple lame excuses and pretexts such as simultaneous elections in NA and Pas. The Contemnor/Respondent No. 1 is bent upon flouting and overturning a clear-cut order of this Apex Court. The petitioner maintained that the constitutional timeframe to hold general elections within 90 days was expiring fast and things were not at all moving.