ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial on Wednesday warned that the Supreme Court will intervene if there was any indication that elections weren’t being held in a “clear” method. Bandial made the remarks as a three-member bench resumed listening to a petition towards the switch of Lahore police chief Ghulam Mahmood Dogar.
During the listening to, the chief justice stated that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) was a constitutional physique and could be “provided safety” for holding free elections within the nation.
“The fee has powers below the Constitution. Its goal is to conduct clear polls. We will intervene if there’s any ailing intention in holding clear polls,” Chief Justice Bandial stated.
Dogar, the Lahore capital metropolis police officer (CCPO), was transferred to Islamabad in September final yr however his switch was cancelled and he was reinstated because the Lahore CCPO by the Supreme Court on December 2, 2022.
Later, he was changed as CCPO on January 23 with Bilal Siddique Kamyana and in addition despatched to Islamabad, however the prime court docket once more intervened on February 17 to cease his repatriation to the federal capital.
The motion was taken by the court docket as by legislation no switch and posting could be made as soon as elections have been introduced. The Punjab meeting was dissolved in January and elections had been as a consequence of be held on April 30.
The warning to make sure truthful and free elections by the apex court docket comes as the federal government and opposition are bitterly preventing over holding the election well timed and in a clear method to make them acceptable for everybody.
Commenting on a collection of audio leaks in current weeks, Bandial stated the apex court docket was being “defamed by audio tapes”.
“Those audio tapes haven’t any significance,” he added.
