- PTI’s Ali Nawaz Awan filed the petition
- The petitioner urged to initiate contempt of court proceedings
- The ECP was unable to conduct LG polls in Islamabad
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) filed a contempt of court plea against the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in the Islamabad High Court (IHC).
PTI leader Ali Nawaz Awan filed an application against the election commission for not conducting the Local Government (LG) elections in Islamabad as directed by the court.
The petition stated that IHC ordered the ECP to conduct polling in Islamabad today (December 31) but the orders were not implemented. The petitioner requested to initiate contempt of court proceedings against the election commission.
Chief Election Commissioner, ECP members, Interior Secretary and Cabinet Secretary have been made respondents in the petition.
Awan filed a petition in the IHC to hold the government responsible for contempt of court for “deliberately disobeying the unequivocal and unambiguous directions” of the court.
The petitioner urged the court to convict and sentence those responsible in an “exemplary manner, in the interest of justice to maintain the sanctity of the judgments and orders” of the court.
Earlier, today, the ECP and the government filed intra-court appeals against the IHC’s order to hold local government elections in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT).
The electoral body had requested an immediate hearing on an intra-court appeal filed in the high court. The IHC registrar’s office raised objection over the appeal, saying that it lacks the required documents. The objections were removed by the ECP’s legal team and the appeal petition was accepted.
The federal government also challenged the IHC’s order via a separate intra-court appeal. Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said the court’s order was not enforceable and it was not possible to provide security to over 1000 polling stations at such short notice.
The IHC ordered to hold local government (LG) elections in the federal capital today. The ECP held an emergency and expressed its inability to conduct the polls within such a short span.
Many voters turned up to cast their votes on Saturday but the polling stations were deserted as election staff was not present. PTI senior leader Fawad Chaudhry said that the voters were standing outside the polling station but the elections have been stopped despite clear orders of the court.
He said that the government is mocking the people and the Constitution with its “puppet election commissioner” he said rhe court should implement its decision and contempt of court action should be taken.
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