SC adjourns ECP review petition on Punjab elections until May 22

ISLAMABAD (92 News) - The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Monday adjourned the review petition filed by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on the Punjab elections until May 22.

During the hearing, Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial remarked that the elections are the base of democracy. "We want peace in the country. The state institutions and assets are being burnt. We have also seen a footage showing the people injured by bullets. The people were scaling the walls of the SC today and the government was seen in total failure," he observed.

PTI counsel Ali Zafar said that May 14 had passed and the constitution had died. "The caretaker governments are now unconstitutional," he stated.

The CJP remarked that the government had to implement the May 14 order. The court issued notices to the parties.

CJP Umar Ata Bandial once again advised the political parties to restart the dialogue process. "Now the ball is in the court of the attorney general. The attorney general should think about the release of the dialogue process. The way the political parties are working is not correct," he maintained.

He observed that the court does not want to hear the ECP review petition in haste. "A relief has been given to PTI chairman Imran Khan. One has to show patience in the difficult time, not to indulge in quarrel. The institutions are in the grip of threats and dangers," he remarked.

In April, a three-member bench of the top court headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan and Justice Munib Akhtar declared the ECP's decision of holding polls on October 8 instead of April 30 'illegal' and ordered it to hold polls in Punjab on May 14.