ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Wednesday, issued notices to Punjab’s Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr. Usman Anwar, the chief secretary, and the Attorney General of Punjab in response to a petition by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

The PTI sought contempt of court proceedings against the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for allegedly neglecting the party’s concerns about an equitable playing field leading up to the impending elections.

A three-member bench, led by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa and including Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Musarrat Hilali heard the case. The proceedings were broadcast live on the Supreme Court’s website.

On December 22, the Supreme Court directed the ECP to address the PTI’s grievances regarding a fair playing field in the upcoming general elections in 2024. In compliance with the court’s directives, the ECP took notice of the PTI’s reservations about the lack of fairness in the run-up to the elections scheduled for February 8, 2024.

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The electoral watchdog issued instructions to provincial election commissioners, chief secretaries, and inspector-generals to address and resolve the PTI’s complaints about candidate mishandling and difficulties in filing nomination papers.

Prior to the hearing, the PTI submitted additional documents to the apex court, providing evidence of the alleged denial of a level playing field. According to the documents, the nomination papers of 668 PTI candidates were reportedly rejected by returning officers appointed by the ECP.

The plea, presented on behalf of Barrister Gohar Ali Khan through Shaheen, sought a directive from the Supreme Court to prevent the arrest of PTI candidates, workers, and leaders and to ensure they are not subjected to harassment. The petitioner urged the apex court to instruct the respondents to guarantee a level playing field for the PTI, promoting free and fair elections in the interest of justice.

The contempt of court petition named Interior Secretary Aftab Akbar Durrani, ECP Secretary Omar Hamid Khan, chief secretaries of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Punjab, Sindh, and Balochistan, as well as IG Punjab Dr. Usman Anwar, IG Balochistan Abdul Khalique Sheikh, IG KP Akhtar Hayat, and IG Sindh Riffat Mukhtar as respondents.