ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday that the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision to postpone polls to the Punjab Assembly till Oct 8 was “unconstitutional” and fixed May 14 as the date for polls in the province.

“The impugned order dated 22.03.2023 made by the Election Commission of Pakistan is declared to be unconstitutional, without lawful authority or jurisdiction, void ab-initio, of no legal effect and is hereby quashed,” the ruling said. “Neither the Constitution nor the law empowers the Commission to extend the date of elections beyond the 90 days period as provided in Article 224(2) of the Constitution.”

The ECP had on March 22 announced that the elections in Punjab would be held on October 8. The date was earlier set on April 30, in consultation with the president.

The reserved verdict was issued today by a three-member bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Munib Akhtar and Justice Ijazul Ahsan.

In the written verdict the top court restored the election schedule issued by the ECP on March 8 with certain modifications.

The changes made by the court in the election programme are:

The last date for filing appeals against decision of the returning officer rejecting/accepting the nomination papers is April 10
The last date for deciding on appeals by the Appellate Tribunal is April 17
The revised list of candidates will be published on April 18
April 19 will be the last date for the withdrawal of candidature and publication of the revised list of candidates
Electoral symbols will be allotted to contesting candidates on April 20
Polling will be held on May 14

The court noted that during the course of hearings, the ECP had categorically stated that if it was provided with necessary aid and assistance by the executive authorities in the provinces and Centre, then the commission would be able to organise and conduct the general elections to the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) assemblies honestly, justly and fairly.

Keeping this in view, the court directed the federal government to release election funds worth Rs21 billion to the ECP by April 10 for elections to the assemblies of Punjab and KP.

“The Commission shall, by April 11, file a report in the court stating whether the said funds have been provided and received and if so, whether in full or in part. The report shall be placed before the members of the bench for consideration in chambers.

“If the funds have not been provided or there is a shortfall, as the case may be, the court may make such orders and give such directions as are deemed appropriate to such person or authority as necessary in this regard,” the SC order said.

It directed the ECP to utilise the funds for elections to the Punjab Assembly in the first instance and added that if there was a shortfall in funds for polls in KP later, the ECP “may make an appropriate representation to this court for such consideration and orders as deemed appropriate”.

The court also instructed the Punjab caretaker government, inspector general and chief secretary (security) to provide the electoral body with a security plan by April 10.

“Furthermore, in any case, the Government of Punjab and all officials thereof must, in the discharge of constitutional and legal duties and responsibilities, proactively provide all aid and assistance to the Commission for the holding and conduct of the general election,” the apex court verdict said.

It went on to say that the federal government, in the discharge of its constitutional duties, was bound to provide aid and assistance to the ECP as required by it for holding elections in Punjab and KP.

“Without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, the federal government must make available all necessary personnel, whether from the Armed Forces, Rangers, Frontier Constabulary and all other forces under the direct, indirect or ultimate command and control of the said Government, as are required by the Commission for security and other purposes related to the general elections.”

In this regard, the federal government should provide a plan to the ECP by April 17, the SC stated.

It warned that if the Centre or the Punjab caretaker government failed to provide aid and assistance to the ECP, the commission could approach the court and an appropriate order would be passed on the matter.

Referring to elections in KP, the SC recalled that the counsel of the KP governor had withdrawn from appearance in court “on account of a certain stand taken by a political party which learned counsel was also representing”.

“The Governor, KP province, therefore, ceased to have representation before the court,” it maintained, pointing out that the matter on elections in KP was not adjudicated upon. “Permission is granted to the petitioners to file such petition and/or seek such relief before such forum as is deemed appropriate.”

The top court also mentioned its March 1 verdict in today’s order. In a 3-2 order last month, the SC had ruled that elections in KP and Punjab should be held within 90 days.

However, the government had disputed the court directions, calling the verdict 4-3 instead after Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail and Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah who were among the four judges who had written additional notes raised objections on the constitution of the bench as well as the invocation of the apex court’s suo motu jurisdiction by the chief justice.

In its verdict today, the court said: “Respectfully, the position as claimed by the learned Judges in minority is erroneous and not sustainable in law.”

The SC further maintained that the March 29 judgement issued by Justice Qazi Faez Isa and Justice Aminuddin Khan did not have any effect on any observations made in today’s order.

In the 12-page order, the judges had called for the postponement of suo motu matters until amendments were made to Supreme Court Rules 1980 regarding the country’s top judge’s discretionary powers to form benches.