Supreme Court sends notice to ECP.

 Polls in KP, Punjab: Supreme Court sends notice to ECP.

Issuing notice to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for dragging feet on polls in Punjab and Khyber Paktunkhwa, the Supreme Court of Pakistan Monday sought guarantees from the government and Pakistan Tehreek-e-insaaf (PTI) for remaining peaceful for free, fair, and transparent elections.

A five-member larger bench, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial, heard the plea. The court also issued notices to governors of two provinces through the chief secretary.

The PTI moved the apex court following the ECP decision to postpone the Punjab polls from April 30 to October 8 after financial and security authorities expressed their inability to support the electroral process.

Following the ECP'S announcement, Khyber Paktunkhwa Governor Haji Ghulam Ali also urged the electroral body to also hold the general elections on the same date (October 8) as the Punjab polls given the growing security threats from terror groups operating from the Pakistan -Afghanistan border regions.

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Hearing of PTI lawyer.

At the outset of the hearing, PTI'S lawyer Barrister Ali Zafar said that contempt of court has been committed thrice.

"When was the election schedule issued?" questioned CJP Bandial.

Barrister Zafar said that the KP governor failed to give a date for the polls in the province despite the Supreme Court's orders.

He added that the president, after consultation with the ECP, gave April 30 as the date for polls.

"Fixing a date for the polls far later after the 90-day deadline was also contempt of court," he said, adding that the ECP has either changed or suspend the constitution.

Zafar said that the constitution does not allow the postponement of elections on the basis of the administration's non-cooperation.

"What do you want from Supreme Court?" Justice Mandokhail asked the PTI lawyer.

Justice Mandokhail remarked it was the high court's job to ensure the implementation of the orders.

"One high court cannot hear the matter of elections in two provinces," said Barrister Zafar.

The PTI counsel said that only Supreme Court could decide better whether the orders were violated or not. "It is a matter of fundamental rights of the people of Punjab and Khyber Paktunkhwa," he added.

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...................... polls in KP, Punjab: Supreme Court sends notice to ECP........................