Plea for contempt proceedings against Punjab governor, CEC filed

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court has been asked to initiate contempt proceedings against the governor of Punjab and the chief election commissioner of Pakistan for not announcing the date for the general election in the province despite an order.

Munir Ahmad, a lawyer by profession, filed a contempt of court petition saying a single bench on Feb 10 directed the governor and the ECP to immediately announce a date for the general election to the Punjab Assembly.

However, he says, the respondents failed to comply with the court’s directions as no date has been allocated for the elections.

The petitioner asks the court to initiate proceedings against the respondents for committing and aiding blatantly continuing contempt of court by consciously failing to adhere to as well as to comply with the orders.

Justice Jawad Hassan of the LHC had ordered the ECP to immediately announce the date of elections to the Punjab assembly after consultation with the governor, in his capacity as the constitutional head of the province, to ensure that polls were held not later than 90 days as per the mandate of the Constitution.

The judge allowed the petitions of PTI and Munir Ahmad seeking directions for the governor and ECP to immediately announce a date for general elections in the province, since the assembly had been dissolved.

The judge ruled that article 219(d) of the Constitution provides that the “ECP” is charged with the duty of “the holding of general elections to the national assembly, provincial assemblies and the local governments.”