SC forecloses any possibility of election delay

The Supreme Court has foreclosed any possibility of election delay as the apex court ruled that objection cannot be raised to the delimitation after the issuance of the election schedule.

A three-member bench led by acting Chief Justice of Pakistan Sardar Tariq Masood and comprising Justice Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Athar Minallah announced the decision while hearing an appeal against the delimitation of two provincial constituencies in Quetta.

The bench declared the Balochistan High Court ruling void.

The BHC had changed the delimitation of two provincial seats in Sherani and Zhob that were formed by the polls over seer. The ECP had challenged the high court’s decision.

At the hearing, Justice Minallah wondered how the high courts can exercise the rights which are bestowed on the ECP under the law.

Justice Shah said that the court has to draw a line pertaining to the issue.

The acting CJP was unable to understand why everyone was seeking election delay and called for holding polls.

Justice Masood remarked that all litigation related to constituencies has become ineffective after the issuance of election programme. The entire electoral process could not be affected in order to give relief to an individual, he added.

Justice Minallah said that everything stops when the election schedule was issued. He added that it was the biggest test of the ECP to hold transparent polls.