Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial took a suo motu notice of an apparent delay in the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) elections and formed a larger bench to hear the case.
CJP’s suo motu notice came two days after President Dr. Arif Alvi ordered that elections in KP and Punjab will be held on April 9.
The nine-member bench includes:
- Justice Umar Ata Bandial
- Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi
- Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan
- Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah
- Justice Munib Akhtar
- Justice Yahya Afridi
- Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail
- Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar
- Justice Athar Minallah
The larger bench will hear the case presided over by the CJP today (Thursday) at 2:00 p.m. In the Lahore Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Ghulam Mehmood Dogar case, a two-member Supreme Court bench consisting of Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan and Justice Mazahir Ali Akbar Naqvi sent a request for a suo moto ruling to the chief justice on February 16.
Read: President Alvi announces April 9 elections day for Punjab and KP assemblies
According to the top court’s statement, the bench will evaluate who is entitled to announce the polling date, the constitutional role of the federation and provinces, and who would carry out the constitutional responsibility of conducting elections and when.
The top court’s statement added, “The government must hold elections in Punjab and KP by the Constitution.”
In the notice, the larger bench presided by the CJP Bandial would consider the following questions:
- Who has the constitutional responsibility and authority to appoint the date for holding a general election to a provincial assembly upon its dissolution in the various situations envisaged by and under the Constitution?
- How and when is this constitutional responsibility to be discharged?
- What are the constitutional responsibilities and duties of the federation and the province with regard to the holding of the general election?
 Umar Ata Bandial took a suo motu notice of an apparent delay in the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) elections and formed a larger bench to hear the case.){kind=link}