LAHORE   -    The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday ad­journed hearing of intra-court appeals, filed by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and Punjab Governor Muhammad Balighur Rehman, against a single bench order in connection with the date of general elections in Punjab, till Febru­ary 27. The bench headed by Justice Chaudhry Muhammad Iqbal heard the appeals filed by the ECP and Punjab governor. During the proceed­ings, the court questioned whether there was any constitutional provision regarding consultation between the ECP and the governor for announce­ment of the election date. To which, Advocate Gen­eral Punjab Shan Gul submitted that there was no such provision. The ECP’s counsel also supported the stance of the advocate general, adding that there was no article which empowered the ECP to consult the governor for the date of the elec­tions. At this stage, the advocate general Punjab sought time for preparation whereas a federal law officer sought time to take instruction from the attorney general for Pakistan in the matter.

However, respondent Munir Ahmad’s coun­sel submitted that out of the 90 days constitu­tional period, only 52 days were left but the ECP had not yet announced the date for gen­eral elections in the province.