• Election for Multan NA seat, Khanewal, Sheikhupura and Bahawalnagar PA seats on Oct 9
• Defers decision on nine NA seats amid issue of de-notified PTI MNAs
• Imran, Asad, Fawad summoned to appear in person over contempt

ISLAMABAD: The Elec­tion Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday announ­ced the new date for by-elections on four seats, one in the National Assembly and three in the Punjab Assembly.

In a meeting chaired by Chief Election Commissi­oner Sikandar Sultan Raja, the decision was made to hold polls on NA-157 Mul­tan, PP-139 Sheikhupura, PP-241 Bahawalnagar and PP-209 Khanewal on October 9.

The commission had earlier postponed by-polls on nine NA seats, which were vacated after the de-notification of PTI lawmakers whose resignations were accepted by the speaker.

However, ECP is yet to announce a new date for polls on those seats as it seeks clarity from the Islamabad High Court (IHC) over the status of de-notified MNAs.

The IHC had suspended an ECP’s notification dated July 29 after one of the lawmakers, PTI’s Abdul Shakoor Shad, challenged the speaker’s action and the subsequent de-notification. He was reinstated by IHC on Sept 10.

However, the court on Monday clarified that the decision was only applicable to the petitioner in that particular case and not other lawmakers.

The commission also sought a report from the Sindh government with regards to the second phase of local body elections in the province. A report was also sought from the Balochistan election commissioner over elections in some polling stations of Duki, Loralai, Musakhel and Mastung districts, which were postponed due to floods.

ECP Secretary Omar Hameed Khan has been directed to seek the order’s copy from the IHC after which the commission will decide a new date for the polls on Wednesday.

The decision comes five days after the ECP had postponed the by-polls in ten national and three provincial assembly constituencies that were scheduled for Sept 11, Sept 25 and Oct 2, citing non availability of security forces due to their involvement in relief and rescue duties.

In the absence of these services and owing to the situation created by floods, it was not possible to ensure elections in an orderly and peaceful manner, the commission had said.

Notices to PTI leaders

Also on Monday, the commission issued show-cause notices to PTI Chairman Imran Khan and two other party leaders and summoned them to appear before the commission in person on September 27.

The development came hours after a four-member bench of the ECP took up the contempt case against Mr Khan, Fawad Chaudhry and Asad Umar.

Informed sources told Dawn that the commission found replies submitted by Mr Chaudhry and Mr Umar to be “unsatisfactory” while Mr Khan didn’t submit a reply even after he was given ample time.

In August, the ECP had issued notices to the three leaders for using “intemperate and non-parliamentary language and contemptuous remarks” against the commission and the chief election commissioner.

Advocate Faisal Fareed, who appeared on behalf of the PTI leaders, argued that the notices were in violation of election rules and issued with the signature of the ECP secretary, who was not the commission.

To this argument, a member of the bench remarked that the commission operates through its secretariat.

The PTI’s counsel also objected to the presence of ECP member from Sindh Nisar Durrani, pointing out that a reference against him was pending with the Supreme Judicial Council.

He also questioned the ECP’s powers in contempt cases and pointed out that these powers have already been challenged in the Islamabad High Court.

After hearing the arguments, the ECP reserved the verdict over its jurisdiction to try and punish contemners.

Meanwhile, Mr Chaudhry and Mr Umar in their written replies termed the notices “vague, cursory and without jurisdiction”.

“It is unclear that the notices … are issued under what law and the gist of which also fails to explain, specially the violation of any provision of law for which the notices have been issued?” the identical replies read.

Published in Dawn, September 13th, 2022