ECP, Rashid, Zardari request SC to fix pleas for hearing

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan on Thursday requested the Supreme Court to fix for hearing next week its petition seeking to transfer and consolidate six petitions filed by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf Chairman Imran Khan and others against its contempt notices in different high courts. The ECP filed an application in the apex court praying for the fixing of its petition next week.

Earlier, on October 13, the commission had filed an application in the Supreme Court under Article 186A of the Constitution for the transfer of PTI petitions pending with various high courts to one high court. It prayed to the apex court to transfer and consolidate the six petitions before the high court in the interests of expeditious disposal and justice.

The election commission submitted that in August and September 2022, it issued notices in the exercise of its powers of contempt, adding that the recipients of these notices invoked the constitutional jurisdiction under Article 199 in different high courts against the notices and contempt proceedings on the ground that Section 10 of the Elections Act, 2010, which is the statutory provision regarding the ECP’s power to punish for contempt, was ultra vires the Constitution.

Similarly, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, former Interior Minister, filed an application in the Supreme Court on Thursday, requesting that his petition be heard on Nov. 2. Sheikh Rashid Ahmed had filed a petition in the apex court regarding ensuring overseas Pakistanis’ right to vote in the upcoming general election in the country.

In his application, filed on Thursday to fix his petition, the former minister said that due to the prevailing situation in the country, it is expected that the date for the general election could be announced at any time; hence, he requested the apex court to fix his petition for Nov 2.

Similarly, former president Asif Ali Zardari also requested the apex court to fix his petition for Nov 17 seeking the transfer of corruption cases filed against him in Islamabad’s accountability courts to Karachi.

In his application filed on Thursday in the apex court, the former president said that litigation has been pending since 2019 before Accountability Court No. II, Islamabad, adding that another case has been pending with the Islamabad High Court since 2020 and the same has been fixed five times during the pendency.

He claimed that the excessive delay was causing him hardship and a miscarriage of justice. He prayed the apex court to fix his petition for Nov 17 in the week commencing Nov 14, 2022.