Decision not toextend term of tribunals was taken in June: ECP

ISLAMABAD: Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has issued a clarification regarding not giving extension to the office term of Kazim Ali Malik, who headed the election tribunal, which recently gave its verdict in favour of PTI. In a statement, the Commission noted that an impression had been created in a section of the press that the Election Commission had terminated the term of the office of Kazim Ali Malik due to the decision announced by him in election petition pertaining to NA-122 Lahore. “This impression is totally incorrect as the decision of not extending the term of the office of all the five election tribunals (three in Punjab and one each in KP and Sindh provinces) including Election Tribunal Lahore, had been taken by the ECP on June 22, 2015 much before the decision of NA-122 Lahore. These tribunals were independent in discharge of their duties, with no interference or pressure whatsoever from the ECP,” it noted. It was further clarified that after general election 2013, 14 Election Tribunals (five in Punjab and three each in KPK, Sindh and Balochistan provinces) were appointed by the ECP on June 03, 2013 for a period of one year. Depending upon their workload and the number of cases pending with them, these Election Tribunals were given extension from time to time till August 31, 2015.