ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Tuesday put on notice 26 political parties, including the People’s Party and the PML-N, to come up with replies by Feb 29 on a petition seeking reduction in expenditure during election campaigns.

According to the Election Commission (ECP), only 26 political parties are currently functioning in the country.

A three-judge Supreme Court bench, headed by Justice Mian Shakirullah Jan, also held that it would decide about the fate of 28 members of the Senate, National Assembly and provincial assemblies after notification of the 20th Amendment in the gazette.

These members of assemblies and the upper house were elected in by-polls by an election commission which did not meet the composition criteria laid down by the 18th Amendment.

On Feb 6, the Supreme Court had ordered suspension of 28 parliamentarians and members of provincial assemblies pending decision by parliament about their status.

The Supreme Court issued notices to the political parties on a petition filed by lawyer Abid Hasan Minto on behalf of Workers Party seeking regulation of election expenses incurred by political parties during electioneering.

The petition has also pleaded for barring political parties from holding huge rallies and putting up banners. Instead, the petition suggested, parties should conduct door-to-door campaigning and be given equal slot on the Pakistan Television for presentation of their manifesto.

Abid Minto has made People’ Party, Muslim League-Nawaz, Muslim League-Quaid, n Tehrik-i-Insaf, Jamiat-i-Ulema-i-Islamand Awami National Party as respondents.

Attorney-General Maulvi Anwarul Haq submitted a report on behalf of the ECP which assured the court that the commission would implement previous court orders of compiling transparent electoral rolls by Feb 25 so that the scheduled by-elections could be held in time.