Daily Times

The apex court has ruled that the legislators had included a clause of secret ballot, so now it is up to the legislators to maintain secret voting. During the hearing of the presidential reference on holding the Senate elections through open ballot, the chief justice said that the ECP should start working as per its schedule. A five-member larger bench headed by Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed heard the case. During the hearing, the chief justice summoned the ECP’s counsel to the rostrum, who said the commission should be given adequate time for printing of ballot papers and other preparations. The CJP asked how much time was needed to print 800 ballot papers. He said that local bodies are mentioned in Article 7 of the constitution. “Article 140A gave it new life. The last Senate election was held by secret ballot. Was the secret ballot held under Article 226?” During the hearing, the attorney general said that the two-member bench of the Supreme Court had said that the local government elections would not be secret, while the three-member bench of the court had said that the local government elections would be secret.