Pakistan: Lahore HC Suspends ECP Notification on Punjab Elections

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday suspended the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) notification regarding the conduct of general elections in Punjab province through the executive branch, marking a significant move ahead of the elections.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) filed a case challenging the appointment of district returning officers (DROs) and returning officers (ROs) from the Punjabi bureaucracy for the general elections. Lahore High Court Judge Ali Baqar Najafi made a decision on the matter and simultaneously sent notifications to the caretaker federal and Punjab province’s governments, as well as the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), when announcing the reserved ruling.

In its five-page ruling, the court highlighted that the underprivileged had invested substantial sums in organizing the elections, emphasizing that if major political parties rejected the election results, it would result in the waste of the nation’s money. The court stressed that ensuring free and fair elections was the responsibility of the ECP.

It is noteworthy that the PTI had filed a lawsuit in the Lahore High Court against the caretaker provincial government in Punjab for appointing bureaucrats as returning officers (ROs) for the upcoming general elections.

The court urged the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to consult with the Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court regarding the appointment of judicial officers as DROs and ROs for the 2024 elections, in accordance with Sections 50 and 51 of the Elections Act of 2017.

The Pakistani Election Commission (ECP) had previously announced that general elections would take place next year, in accordance with Section 57 of the Election Act. The notice specified that the general elections were scheduled for February 8, 2024, in line with the Supreme Court’s ruling.