LHC orders to hold elections in Punjab in 90 days

The Lahore High Court Friday ordered to hold general elections in Punjab province within the stipulated timeframe of 90 days, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

Earlier, the LHC reserved its verdict on petitions seeking court ruling to order the authorities to announce elections in Punjab. The court reserved the verdict after hearing the arguments of the lawyers of all parties.

LHC Justice Jawad Hassan reserved the judgement on the petitions filed by PTI Secretary General Asad Umar and others.

During LHC’s hearing of the case yesterday, Advocate Shahzad Shaukat submitted the Punjab governor’s reply in a petition filed by Munir Ahmad, a lawyer.

LHC Order to hold elections in 90 days by 24 News on Scribd

Punjab Governor Balighur Rehman told the court that he was not supposed to announce a date for the general election in the province as he had not dissolved the provincial assembly on the chief minister’s advice. 

“It is emphatically denied that the answering respondent No.1 (governor) was in any manner obligated to appoint the date of elections when he had never dissolved the Assembly while acting on the so-called advice of the chief minister,” the governor said in the reply.

He said the appointment of a caretaker set-up was not dependent upon the announcement of the date for the election as the first step.

It was the primary duty of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to conduct a free and fair election, he said, adding that he did not cause any obstruction in the performance of the commission in any manner.