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LHC to hear poll delay case on 10th

Staff Report

LAHORE: A division bench of the Lahore High Court (LHC) postponed until November 10 the hearing into several identical intra-court appeals against a single bench order that deferred by-elections in Punjab.

Justice Umar Ata Bandial and Justice Ijazul Ahsan also directed the Punjab government’s counsel to conclude his arguments at the next hearing. Muhammad Azhar Siddique advocate, a candidate from NA-123, Awami Muslim League chief Sheikh Rashid from NA-55 and Hafiz Salman Butt from NA-123 had filed the appeals.

During Thursday’s proceedings, the applicants requested the bench for early hearing into the appeals, as the election schedule would expire on November 7. The bench remarked that the decision would not be made in haste and every party would be given an opportunity to explain their viewpoint.

Counsel for the Punjab government Khawaja Haris submitted that all stakeholders of the by-polls, including the federal government, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and security agencies, should sit together to evolve a strategy for holding by-elections. He said the ECP had not given the Punjab government an opportunity to explain the security situation in the province before announcing the election schedule.

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