LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday issued notices to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and the caretaker government of Punjab on a petition of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) challenging ‘blanket’ powers of the latter to make transfers and postings of the officers in the province.

Justice Anwaar Hussain heard the petition of the PTI and directed a law officer to seek instructions from the respondents and submit their replies by the next hearing.

The petition was filed by PTI senior vice president Fawad Chaudhry.

His counsel Mobeenuddin Qazi argued that large-scale transfers/postings by the caretaker government were being mechanically approved by the ECP without checking them in view of the provisions of Section 230 of the Elections Act 2017. He said the transfer orders, in several cases, had been issued by the caretaker government without even bothering to obtain prior approval of the ECP.

The illegal exercise is going on despite the fact that in several cases, the high court has suspended such unwarranted transfer orders, the petition adds.

The counsel asked the court to set aside the impugned notification of the ECP issued on March 10 whereby it had granted the blanket permission to the caretaker government to transfer, post and appoint officers in the province without seeking a prior approval of the commission.

BY-ELECTION: The LHC issued notices on the petitions by two PTI leaders to stay the by-election being held in two constituencies of the National Assembly in Punjab.

Former federal ministers Farrukh Habib and retired Brig Ijaz Shah challenged the by-polls in NA-108 of Faisalabad and NA-118 of Nankana Sahib through two separate petitions.

The petitioners’ counsel, Azhar Siddique, argued before the court that the by-polls could not be held in a constituency if there was less than 120 days in the conduct of general election of the National Assembly. He asked the court to restrain the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) from holding the by-poll in the two constituencies since less than 120 days were left in the upcoming general election.

Justice Shahid Karim issued notices to the ECP for submission of its replies to the petitions by April 12.

Published in Dawn, April 11th, 2023