Time for giving election schedule is over: ECP and Governor KP guilty of contempt of court
According to rules of law, if Election Commission of Pakistan had announced election schedule by last night, it would have had full 54 days to complete election process
Due to the lack of progress in the talks between Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Haji Ghulam Ali and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), the ECP has been further delayed in releasing the election schedule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. On March, the Supreme Court of Pakistan ordered the Election Commission and Governor KP to give a date in mutual consultation. Analysts say that by not announcing the date of elections, ECP and Governor KP have committed contempt of court.
According to the order of the Supreme Court, the Election Commission of Pakistan and the Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had to announce the schedule of elections in KP by 12 o’clock last night.
According to the rules of law, if the Election Commission of Pakistan had announced the election schedule by last night, it would have had full 54 days to complete the election process.
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In light of the orders issued by the Supreme Court on March 1, the Election Commission of Pakistan had written a letter to Governor KP Ghulam Ali (who is a close relative of JUI-F leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman), ordering the holding of elections in the province. The date was requested.
After a delay of about three days, Governor Haji Ghulam Ali, while replying to the ECP’s letter, invited the commission to consult on the elections to be held in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on March 7 or 8.
According to media reports, the letter written by Governor KP directed the Election Commission to attend the meeting at the Governor’s House with full preparation today i.e. Wednesday.
The ECP had reprimanded Governor Ghulam Ali and asked him to confine himself to his responsibilities and the order of the Supreme Court of Pakistan. The Election Commission further said that the governor should limit himself only to the date of the elections.
The ECP has further said that the Governor has nothing to do with holding ‘peaceful’ elections, the Election Commission is not bound to consult him on ‘law and order’.
According to sources, the Election Commission says, “The governor has no role in the constitution except to fix the date of elections. Because the caretaker government and law enforcement agencies are bound to assist the commission.”
