The Supreme Court on Wednesday set aside a Lahore High Court (LHC) verdict that had postponed bye-elections in NA-55 (Rawalpindi-VI) on Punjab government's plea that law and order situation in the province was not conducive for holding the elections.
"The judgement of LHC is not sustainable as far as holding of bye-elections in NA-55 is concerned. We refer the matter back to the Election Commission to proceed from where the process was stopped/stayed," Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry said while announcing the order.
The National Assembly constituency NA-55 fell vacant when Haji Pervez Khan, former PML-N parliamentarian resigned on May 9 this year after failure to prove his innocence in an examination scandal. Afterwards, the Election Commission had issued a schedule for bye-elections; however, the LHC decision had delayed the process. Meanwhile, the court issued notice to the AG on a petition filed by Syed Manzoor Gilani against delay of bye-elections in NA-123 Lahore for January 6.