ISLAMABAD: Two days after the Supreme Court’s “historic” decision, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) petitioned the high court once more, pleading with it to order Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Haji Ghulam Ali to call for provincial elections. On behalf of former KP speaker Mushtaq Ghani, attorney Gohar Khan filed the petition, arguing that the governor was acting in accordance with the Supreme Court’s March 1 ruling, which instructed President Arif Alvi to set a date for the Punjab elections and Ali for the KP. On March 24, Governor Ali urged the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to schedule the province’s general elections for October 8—the same day the electoral watchdog had set for Punjab. Governor Ali did this in light of the recent upsurge in terrorist activity.
The PTI had already opposed the delay of Punjab polls and after several hearing the country’s top court, on Tuesday, in its unanimous verdict declared the ECP’s decision on the Punjab and KP election null and void, ordering the electoral authority to hold snap polls issuing May 14 as the date for Punjab.Two days later, PTI has moved the apex court seeking the interference of SC in holding elections in KP.The petition, filed today, reiterated that it is important to hold elections within 90 days once the assembly is dissolved and the governor was stepping back from his decision as he had already announced to hold elections on May 28.“Under the Constitution, there is no provision in which an unelected and selected caretaker government can continue to operate for more than a period of 90 days,” the petition read, adding that it was beyond the “scope and ambit of the Constitution to allow an unrepresented government to continue to govern the population of Pakistan, including that of a province.
”In November last year, the PTI chairman announced the dissolution of KP and Punjab assemblies, and after much back-and-forth, the legislatures were dissolved in January — Punjab on January 14 and KP on January 18.Then came the step of announcing election dates and governors from both provinces were reluctant to issue dates until the Supreme Court’s order on March 1.Following the announcements of dates, the ECP held consultations with provincial and federal authorities, and it did not receive a welcoming response, as the authorities declined to back the electoral watchdog.Citing its responsibility towards ensuring fair elections in the country, the election organising authority, in a notification, recounted its various endeavours in trying to ensure that the commission carried out its responsibilities diligently.
