A Christian community member has filed an application in the Supreme Court to become a party in the election suo moto case, 24NewsHD TV channel reported on Saturday.

Easter will be on April 9 and Good Friday on April 7, the petitioner stated, adding that the elections should not be held on these days.

The Christian community on polls day will be busy celebrating Easter, hence the election date should be changed, pleaded the petitioner.

President Dr Arif Alvi announced April 9 as the date for holding elections in Punjab and KP provinces after his invitation for consultations on the matter was turned down by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) a few days ago. Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Umar Ata Bandial took suo moto notice saying that there appeared to be a “lack of clarity” on the matter,

The rights of the Christian community are connected with the general elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, in the petition filed by Samuel Maskan.

Elections are to take place in both provinces after previous PTI governments had dissolved their assemblies before the expiry of their five-year mandated term on the orders of party chief Imran Khan.

The CJP constituted a nine-member bench comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsan, Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Yahya Afridi, Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Athar Minallah.