KP elections: SC registrar returns PTI’s petition with objections

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) registrar Monday returned with objections, a petition, filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), challenging Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Governor Haji Ghulam Ali decision for setting October 8 as a polling date in the province.

The registrar objected that the petitioner had not affixed the court fee stamp, adding that some pages of the constitutional petition were illegible. Moreover, some pages contain over-writing/cutting.

It was further objected that notice issued to the respondent was not properly drawn, as it was not mentioned therein that for what purpose that constitutional petition was being filed before the court nor copy of petition had been provided to the respondent. The PTI, through its Secretary General Asad Umar, Mushtaq Ahmed Ghani, speaker Provincial Assembly Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Mahmood Khan, former chief minister KP, Shaukat Ali Yousafzai, former provincial minister and Member KP Assembly, and others, had filed a petition in the SC under Article 184(3) of the Constitution. They had contended that if the excuse of law and order situation as well as financial constraints was allowed to be valid for postponing the elections, then the elections could be delayed indefinitely for the reason, which would amount to subversion and usurpation of the Constitution.

They made the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), Federation of Pakistan through Ministry of Interior, Governor KP Ghulam Ali and Chief Secretary KP as respondents. The PTI had prayed to the apex court to direct the ECP to hold election to the KP Assembly not later than 90 days subject to the barest minimum to that timeframe. The notification came as the KP governor had proposed the date of October 8 for elections in his province.