ISLAMABAD: After months of delay, the Election Commis­sion of Pakistan (ECP) has appointed tribunals in Punjab to hear disputes over general elections.

The commission on Thursday notified eight election tribunals comprising four sitting and as many retired judges of the Lahore High Court (LHC).

The tribunals included serving justices Sultan Tanvir Ahmed, Muhammad Iqbal Chaudhry, Anwaar Hussain and Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar, and retired justices Rana Zahid Mehmood, Mahmood Maqbool Bajwa, Zafar Iqbal and Abdul Shakoor Paracha.

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The notification came three days after the Supreme Court annulled the LHC order where it said the ECP was bound to appoint as election tribunals judges nominated by the high court’s chief justice.

The LHC’s decision, issued in May, was challenged by the electoral watchdog in July after parliament changed the law to allow the appointment of retired high court judges as election tribunals.

In its petition, the commission questioned whether the ECP or LHC has the final say in the appointment of tribunals.

Published in Dawn, October 4th, 2024