Govt won’t be allowed to play with ECP members issue: SC

Says court has no concern with consultation; orders ECP members’ appointment by July 27; asks if govt wants to repeat 1985 elections

ISLAMABAD: Directing the government to appoint the members of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) by July 27, the Supreme Court on Thursday said the government will not be allowed to play with the issue. The apex court asked if the government was intending to repeat the 1985 elections.

A two-member bench of the apex court comprising Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali and Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed heard a suo moto case pertaining to the non-functional ECP.Additional Attorney General Waqar Ali Rana informed the court that the tenure of the ECP members ended on June 12. He submitted that before that on June 10, the 22nd Constitutional Amendment was passed. The chief justice remarked that the institution was hampered as new members had not been appointed.

Waqar Ali Rana told the court that consultation for the appointment of ECP members was going on between the leaders of opposition parties. The chief justice said they were not concerned with consultation between the opposition and the ruling party leaders.

“Enough is enough,” the CJ remarked, adding that the Election Commission members should have been appointed before June 12. The chief justice questioned as to why the government waited for the completion of their terms. He further said the court would not allow the government to play with the issue.

The additional attorney general assured the court that the Election Commission members will be appointed before July 27.“The purpose of the suo moto was that the ECP should not remain non-functional,” the chief justice said, adding that even a census has not been held for the last eight years.The court directed the government to ensure the appointment of members of the  Commission before the next date of hearing on July 28.

Meanwhile, hearing the election reforms implementation case, the Supreme Court directed the Election Commission to consult all the political parties on its proposals for electoral reforms and submit a detailed report.

During the hearing, secretary Election Commission informed the court that they have chalked out some proposals for bringing electoral reforms wherein apart from banning wall-chalking, posters, banners and billboards, a proposal for banning public rallies during the elections has also been recommended. It said only corner meetings should be allowed by the administration during elections.

Ahemd Awais, counsel for the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), submitted that the court had already given its verdict pertaining to expenditures during the time of elections. He pleaded that holding of public rallies during elections should also be banned. 

At this, Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed in a lighter vein observed that if all activities of elections are to be stopped then the election may be halted as well. He asked if election advertisements were run only on state-owned television, then who will watch them 

Counsel for the petitioner said that elections should be held but extraordinary expenditures on elections should be avoided.

The court asked ECP to submit a detailed report on its proposals, chalked out for electoral reforms after consulting all the political parties and adjourned further hearing for date-in-office.