Inactive ECP not tolerable: CJ

Says govt, opposition playing friendly match; takes suo moto notice

ISLAMABAD: The Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP), Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali, on Wednesday observed that the government and the opposition are playing a friendly match and said a non-functional Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) was not tolerable.

The chief justice, while hearing a matter pertaining to the election of mayor, deputy mayor, chairman and deputy chairman in Karachi, took  strong exception to the non-performance of functions by the ECP and remarked that after the completion of the term of ECP members, the commission had become non-functional.

The chief justice said that the country will not be run like this, adding that a census was scheduled to be held in 2008, however, it had not been held so far, due to which suo moto notice had been taken.Later, the court directed the federal government to appoint new members for the ECP under the Constitution and electoral laws and adjourned the case till today (Thursday).

Meanwhile, the chief justice took suo moto notice of non-performance of functions by the ECP and fixed the instant matter before the court today (Thursday), while the attorney general had been issued a notice in this regard.

The chief justice took notice on press clippings of different newspapers containing the details that after completion of the term of members of the ECP, the commission personnel were unable to perform duties assigned to the ECPunder the Constitution and electoral laws.

Consequently, various election processes i.e. holding of elections against the vacant seats in the National and provincial assemblies, local government elections, issuance of notification of returned candidates and various other processes are not being completed, and the timelines provided are not being followed in accordance with the Constitution and the law.

Taking notice of the issue, the chief justice directed the office to fix the matter with other identical matters in the court for today (Thursday) with notice to the Attorney General for Pakistan.