The Supreme Court has issued a ten-page written order in cases seeking general elections in 90 days. The order said that the court facilitated the President and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in fixing the elections’ date.
All parties agreed on the fixed date of elections on February 8, it said. The order said that the time has come that the courts should not unnecessarily become a part of disputes that waste time.
Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa wrote the decision. It stated that the ECP did not give any reply to the President’s letter. It was not the authority of the SC to set the date of elections as per the constitution. If any institution interferes the constitutional limits of another, the consequences would be serious.
The written order further said that the dispute between the President and the ECP was unnecessarily brought to the Supreme Court, adding that the court did not interfere in the affairs of both institutions.
It said that some people were worried that the elections might not take place. The president, chief election commissioner and the members are bound by the oath taken under the constitution, it said, adding that there is no excuse for a constitutional body or official not to be familiar with the constitution.
The court stated that we must learn from history that violation of the constitution has a negative impact on the people and the country’s geographical boundaries.
The order said that Justice Mazhar Alam had left the issue of application of Article 6 to the Parliament. After the consent of the president, a notification has been issued regarding the election’s date.
The top court instructed the federal and all provincial governments to ensure the completion of the election process without any hindrance on February 8. The written order said that giving false information and creating false narratives are degrading to democracy.
