MM News

ECP and Govt file intra-court appeal, challenges IHC verdict on LG polls

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and the Federal Government on Saturday filed intra-court appeals, challenging single bench verdict of Islamabad High Court (IHC) which had suspended the ECP’s notification on the postponement of the local government elections and directed the electoral body to hold polls in the capital city, as per schedule, i.e. on Saturday Dec 31 (today).

Jamat-e-Islami and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) have been made respondents in the appeals.

سیکرٹری الیکشن کمیشن خود ہائیکورٹ پہنچ گئے، اپنی مہر بھی ساتھ لانا نہ بھولے تاکہ انتخابات کا فیصلہ چیلنج کرنے کی درخواست اور کاغذات پر بروقت مہر تصدیق جب جہاں ضرور ہو ثبت کی جا سکے pic.twitter.com/X06oauPVml
— Sohail Rashid (@SohailRashid8) December 31, 2022

Talking to media after filing the intra court appeal, PMLN leader Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said the government respected the court orders but it wasn’t possible to hold local government elections on such a short notice, therefore the federal government filed intra-court appeal.

He said more than 1000 polling stations had been set up across Islamabad, and each one of them required 20 to 25 polling staff. To mobilize this much stuff, he said, and to provide security to all of them in one day time wasn’t possible.

Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said as soon as the intra-court appeal is heard, the government would honor and fulfill the court orders in future.

Also read: IHC orders ECP to hold Islamabad Local Government elections tomorrow

https://twitter.com/mmnewsdottv/status/1609041544967000067

It may be recalled that the verdict to hold hold LG polls in Islamabad on Dec 31 was pronounced by IHC Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir, who was hearing identical petitions filed by the PTI and the Jamaat-i-Islami against the ECP’s decision — announced earlier this week.

آج اسلام آباد میں صبح کے وقت شدید دھند اور کڑاکے کی سردی رہی، اس کے باوجود شہر کی تمام یوسیز میں بلدیاتی انتخابات کےلئے صبح سویرے ووٹرز بڑی تعداد میں ووٹ ڈالنے پہنچ گئے، بزرگ جوان جو بھی پہنچا سب تحریک انصاف کے حامی، اب یہاں سے اندازہ لگا لیں کہ انتخابات کا خوف کیوں ہے۔ pic.twitter.com/DobAhooxou
— Khurram Iqbal (@khurram143) December 31, 2022

In its short order, the IHC said “the Election Commission of Pakistan is directed to hold the local government elections in the Islamabad Capital Territory as per the schedule already announced i.e. on 31.12.2022.”

Also read: ECP defies IHC orders, fails to hold LG polls in Islamabad

However, reacting on the IHC verdict, federal government expressed its inability to comply with the single bench’s verdict, with Rana Sanaullah saying “we respect the court [Islamabad High Court], but holding the elections is not possible as the arrangements cannot be made in such a short period.”

Also read: Govt expresses inability to hold LG polls despite court orders

This morning, the ECP team approached IHC and filed an intra-court appeal, challenging the single bench’s verdict with prayer to fix the hearing today. The ECP also prayed to suspend the single bench’s verdict.