The Supreme Court of Pakistan has overturned the Peshawar High Court’s decision regarding the suspension of the appointment of a returning officer (RO) for the PK-91 Kohat constituency.
The decision came after the electoral body appealed to the Supreme Court against the High Court’s earlier order, which had suspended the appointment of Irfanullah as the RO for PK-91 Kohat II in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province.
During the hearing, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Qazi Faez Isa raised concerns about the apparent tactics to hinder elections, noting that the appointment of a new RO was quickly made after the previous one fell ill. However, the Peshawar High Court had endorsed the cancellation of this appointment without issuing a notice.
Questioning the plea’s relevance with the Supreme Court, CJP Justice Qazi Faez Isa later accepted the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) plea, nullifying the Peshawar High Court’s decision.
Election Preparations and Monitoring Efforts
The election process is progressing, with the scrutiny of nomination papers for spring candidates completed and Appellate Tribunals currently hearing candidate objections across the court. In preparation for the general election, the ECP has established Election Monitoring and Control Centers at various provincial, divisional, and district levels, including Islamabad.
As informed by ECP local chapter sources to APP, these centres aim to register public complaints and ensure a swift resolution, facilitating a smooth electoral process.
