Daily Times

The Peshawar High Court (PHC) sought on Tuesday written responses from the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Haji Ghulam Ali regarding the date for general elections in the province. A two-member bench comprising Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim and Justice Syed Muhammad Attique Shah heard the petition filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) seeking a date for the polls in the KP Assembly, a private TV channel reported. PTI leaders Azam Swati, Asad Qaiser, Shibli Faraz and Shah Farman also appeared in the court. The PTI had submitted a petition to the court stating that the elections must be held within 90 days after the dissolution of the assembly. During the hearing, the court asked why the governor has not yet given a date for the elections.

At this, the KP’s advocate general said that the governor still has time to give a date for elections as per the Constitution, adding that the chief secretary has submitted a reply earlier in the day.

To this, Justice Ali ordered Governor Ali to submit a written reply by Thursday in response to the letter sent to him by the electoral body seeking a date for the polls. The high court then asked what will be the future course of action if the ECP does not get the date.PTI’s lawyer said that the governor is not giving the date and is only making excuses. The court after issuing the notices adjourned the hearing till Thursday.