LHC suspends notification of posting bureaucrats as ROs and DROs

The Lahore High Court (LHC) Wednesday suspended the notification of appointment of government officers as returning officers (ROs) and district returning officers (DROs). 24NewsHD TV channel reported.

Justice Ali Baqir Najafi announced the reserved verdict on a plea filed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) challenging the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP)’s decision to post bureaucrats as ROs and DROs.

The court recommended the constitution of a larger bench and sent the file to the LHC chief justice. The petition identified a national issue, the court ruled, adding that billions of rupees are spent on conducting elections.

If the major political parties do not accept the results, the public money is wasted, it added. In the current situation, desired results cannot be obtained from the general election, it maintained, adding that the future of democracy may be weakened by the general elections. 

Last week, the PTI challenged the appointment of bureaucrats to act ROs for the upcoming general elections and appealed to the court to strike down sections 50(1)(b) and 51(1) of the Elections Act 2017.

It argued that the appointment of ROs and other election staff from among government officers ‘defeats the whole purpose of creating an independent election commission’.

The petition requested the court to order the ECP to initiate the process of consultation with the LHC chief justice for the appointment of judicial officers as the returning officers for the general elections.