LAHORE MIRROR — In a sternly-worded address, Abid Zuberi, President of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), called for the application of Article 6 of the Constitution, which pertains to treason, against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja.
Zuberi accused the CEC of violating both the Supreme Court’s order and the Constitution by failing to conduct elections within 90 days after the dissolution of an assembly.
On March 1, the Supreme Court, in a divided decision, ruled that elections for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Punjab assemblies must be held within 90 days. This directive was issued during a suo motu notice verdict, with Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial making the announcement. Following the Supreme Court’s ruling, President Arif Alvi, after consulting with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), announced April 30 as the date for the Punjab polls.
However, the ECP later postponed the Punjab elections, citing security concerns as the primary reason for the change in plans. The polls were rescheduled to take place on October 8.
In April, the Supreme Court declared the ECP’s decision regarding the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) elections null and void, ordering snap elections—a demand consistently pushed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan after the dissolution of both provincial assemblies. The Supreme Court specifically instructed the ECP to conduct elections in Punjab on May 14. Nevertheless, the ECP was unable to comply with the Supreme Court’s directive.
Speaking at the Lawyers Convention organized by SCBA, Zuberi criticized the ECP, asserting that the Supreme Court’s order had yet to be implemented.
“The ECP is disregarding the Supreme Court’s order and the Constitution,” Zuberi declared, adding that the SCBA would challenge recent amendments to the Official Secrets Act and the Pakistan Army Act in the Supreme Court.
Aitzaz Ahsan, a veteran lawyer, also took aim at the CEC, branding Raja as a “facilitator” and “violator of the Constitution” for failing to hold timely general elections in the country.
Earlier, at the All-Pakistan Lawyers Convention, participants demanded that the next general elections be held within 90 days in Pakistan. This demand arose amid reports that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had not yet announced the election schedule, with meetings primarily focused on ensuring accurate constituency delimitation.
In a statement released after the conclusion of the lawyers’ convention, the SCBA declared, “No caretaker government can exceed the 90-day limit.”
Source: Geo
