The Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI), on Saturday, filed a petition in the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SC) against the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision to delay the Punjab elections.

In the petition, the ECP, Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Federal Government, Chief Secretary Punjab, and Chief Secretary Khyber Pakhtunkhwa among others have been made parties.

The petition, filed through Barrister Gohar Ali Khan by former Speaker Punjab Assembly Muhammad Sabatin Khan, former Speaker KP Assembly Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani, Secretary General PTI Asad Umar, and others, stated that the SC On March 1, 2023, ordered the President of the State and the Governor of KP to announce the date for the elections of the Punjab and KP Assemblies after due consultation with ECP.

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Besides, stated the petition, according to the constitution, the elections should be held within 90 days after the dissolution of the assemblies.

According to the petition, the Punjab Assembly was dissolved on January 14, 2023, while the KP Assembly was dissolved on January 18.

The SC had also expressed the apprehension that after 90 days it is expected that excuses will be made to delay the election, however, the SC directed all federal and supervisory governments and administrative authorities to provide funds, and security, and also to make other arrangements while it was the responsibility of the ECP to hold the election on the scheduled date.

Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, the lawyer of the petitioners, said after the orders of the Supreme Court, the President announced the Punjab Assembly elections on April 30 after consultation with the ECP, but the Governor KP did not comply with the decision of the SC, on which a petition for contempt of court was filed against him.

He said that during this time the ECP also changed its notification and gave a new date for the election and it was declared that the Punjab Assembly elections will be held on October 8, which not only violates the Constitution but also the SC’s decision.

He said that by giving a new date for the elections on March 22, 2023, the ECP has violated the constitution three times by extending the period to 267 days instead of 90 days after the dissolution of the assembly. It is similar to amending the constitution while the ECP does not have the authority to do so. In this way, the decision of the SC on March 1 has also been ignored.

The petition said that since it is a matter of constitutional and public interest, it has created the problem of violation of the fundamental constitutional rights of millions of people as people have the right to vote in a democratic country.

The intervention of the SC on this occasion is also necessary because the elections are being delayed and unnecessary legislation is also feared in this regard.

In the petition, the SC has been requested to annul the decision of the ECP as unconstitutional and to issue orders to the ECP to conduct the election at the appointed time in light of the SC’s decision.

A hearing on the application is expected soon.