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SC Larger Bench Hearing PTI Plea Against ECP Decision Changing Election Date In Punjab, KP

Islamabad: The Supreme Court is holding a hearing of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) plea regarding the date for general elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa today (Monday).

A five-member larger bench, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial, is hearing the plea.

Apart from the CJP, the bench includes Justice Ijaz ul Ahsan, Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Amin-Ud-Din Khan and Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail.

The PTI decided to move the apex court following the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision to postpone the Punjab polls from April 30 to October 8 after financial and security authorities expressed their inability to support the electoral process.

In light of the Supreme Court’s split ruling last month, President Arif Alvi had announced the date for the Punjab polls after consulting with the ECP.

Following the ECP’s announcement, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Haji Ghulam Ali also urged the electoral body to also hold the general elections on the same date (October 8) as the Punjab polls given the growing security threats from terror groups operating from the Pakistan-Afghanistan border regions.


At the outset of the hearing, PTI’s lawyer Barrister Ali Zafar said that contempt of court has been committed thrice.

“When was the election schedule issued?” questioned CJP Bandial.

The PTI’s counsel replied that the schedule was issued on March 8. “The Election Commission did not have the authority to give a date for the elections,” he added.

Barrister Zafar said that the KP governor failed to give a date for the polls in the province despite the Supreme Court’s orders.

He added that the president, after consultation with the ECP, gave April 30 as the date for polls.