ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court ordered the Election Commission on Monday to hold by-elections within two months in three constituencies of Punjab. They are NA-123, Lahore; PP-82, Jhang; and PP-284, Bahawalnagar.
The three-member bench comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhmmad Chaudhry, Justice Chaudhry Ijaz Ahmed and Justice Ghulam Rabbani issued the order on a petition filed by Syed Manzoor Gillani.
The Punjab Chief Secretary and a candidate had approached the Lahore High Court, seeking postponement of elections in the three constituencies and NA-55, Rawalpindi, citing law and order in the province.
A single-judge bench of the LHC had delayed by-polls in these constituencies, citing the volatile situation in Swat valley and upheld the stance of the provincial government that the ECP could not issue a notification for re-scheduling the by-polls in the province without hearing the provincial government’s viewpoint.
Disposing of the petition on Monday, the Supreme Court ordered the ECP to allow filing of fresh nominations by new candidates willing to contest the by-elections. It clarified that nominations already filed by candidates would remain intact.
The decision is similar to the Supreme Court judgment ordering the ECP to hold by-election in NA-55, Rawalpindi, on a petition filed by Awami Muslim League leader Sheikh Rashid Ahmed.
The Supreme Court, while deciding the matter relating to NA-55, had held that the ECP was an independent constitutional body and not subservient to any executive authority which was bound to assist the commission in holding elections.
Khawaja Haris, representing the chief secretary of Punjab, said that the polls had been postponed because of the serious law and order situation in tribal areas of the country.For More News Click Here
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