ISLAMABAD - Rejecting the postponement of elections in NA-60 constituency following the conviction of PML-N candidate Hanif Abbasi in the ephedrine case, Awami Muslim League chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmad on Sunday appealed to the chief justice to take notice of the ‘unconstitutional act’ of the Election Commission of Pakistan.

Addressing a press conference here, Ahmad said the act of postponement of elections in NA-60 was unconstitutional and dubbed it a conspiracy against him and PTI chief Imran Khan.

He said that under the constitution and Elections Act 2017, the ECP was not empowered to halt the elections in any constituency. “If this is the criteria, why it was not applied in the case of Capt (retd) Safdar following his conviction in a corruption case,” he said. He said he would utilize all available legal and constitutional forums to get this unconstitutional act of the ECP to nullify it. He also asked the ECP to explain and justify the postponement of elections in NA-60 in the Islamabad High Court on Monday (today).

Abbasi was handed down life imprisonment in the ephedrine quota case and the PML-N had moved an application to the ECP seeking postponement of elections as the party had no covering candidate.

Exercising its powers under Section 4 and Article 218(3), the ECP put off the elections in the constituency and further notified that by-polls in the constituency would be held after the general election.

Ahmed said under the Elections Act 2017, election in a constituency could only be postponed in case the law and order situation went out of control and a returning officer puts off elections to avoid further deteriorating of the situation.

Ahmed said so far he had spent around Rs2 million on his election campaign in the constituency and it would also go in waste in case the elections were not held in the constituency.

Ahmad is also contesting elections on NA-62 Rawalpindi.

ECP former secretary Kanwar Dilshad termed the decision of postponement of election negation of Elections Act 2017 which only empowers the returning officer to put off election in a constituency in some extraordinary situation.

Dilshad said under section 73 of the act, the election in a constituency could only be put off in case of the death of a candidate while the ECP under no circumstances could put off the elections.

The ECP in its press release said preparations for the general election were in their final stages and ballot papers for the constituency were already printed with Abbasi's election symbol on them.

“As the ECP is bound to provide a level playing field to all candidates [...] the general election in NA-60 is postponed and will be conducted after the scheduled general election, along with other postponed elections," the ECP said.