On Thursday, the Peshawar High Court (PHC) issued an ultimatum to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) over a petition aimed at seeking Senate elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
This hearing was presided over by Chief Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim and Justice Waqar Ahmed. At this meeting, Chief Justice Ibrahim directed the ECP to convene and report back to the court with its conclusions.
The petition, submitted by PTI leader Azam Swati, points out that Senate elections have been carried out in other provinces yet in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Swati’s counsel argued that currently, the seats remain vacated in the Senate so that KP does not have full representation.
“When would the commission hold a meeting and fix a date for polls?” Chief Justice Ibrahim asked. To this, ECP’s Special Secretary Mohammad Arshad replied to the Court that a meeting would soon be organized within the commission on this matter and that more time should be given to consider a formal reply.
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The petitioner’s counsel raised the concern that as far as KP is concerned, there are now 11 Senate seats unreprimanded which makes representation at the provincial level riddled. On questioning by ECP concerning Senate status from KP, only half the seats come under him as being acknowledged by the official.
The court meant business with the commission instructing it to hold its meeting and narrow down to a decision at the next sitting. “Put in your reply by Dec 24; we are not going to defer this matter any longer,” Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim ruled.
The next hearing is adjourned till December 24.