Pak court directs EC to immediately announce poll date

Lahore: A Pakistani court has ordered the Election Commission of Pakistan to immediately announce the date for polls to the provincial assembly of Punjab, a decision seen as a setback for the PML(N)-led ruling federal coalition and a victory for Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan.

In a late-night decision on Friday, the Lahore High Court’s single bench of Justice Jawad Hassan ruled that the Election Commission is bound to carry out polls within 90 days of the assembly’s dissolution and issue the election schedule.

The High Court announced the decision on the petition of Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf. The court had reserved its verdict on Friday afternoon. The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf governments of

Punjab and Kyber Pakhtaunkhawa provinces dissolved the assemblies more than 20 days ago, primarily to push the federal government to call for snap polls.

The PML(N) and its allies, instead of obliging to the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s demand of dissolving the National Assembly and holding fresh polls, declared that the elections to both the provincial assemblies should also be held once the federal government’s tenure completes in August.

Subsequently, the governors of both provinces declined to give dates for holding polls in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. According to the Constitution, the elections must be held within 90 days from the day of dissolution of the assemblies.

The matter was referred to the Election Commission of Pakistan which said it received reports from the police chiefs and chief secretaries of both provinces declaring that the environment was not conducive to holding polls because of the poor economic and law-and-order situations in the country.

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan directed his party to challenge the federal government’s “delaying

tactics” in both Lahore High Court and Peshawar High Court.