The Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday issued directives to Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to finalise voter lists by February 23, 2012 instead of June 2012. However, the ECP was ordered to submit fortnightly report in the apex court on progress made towards preparation of electoral lists till finalisation of the process.
A three-member bench comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Tariq Pervaiz and Justice Ijaz Chaudhry was hearing a constitutional petition filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan regarding voters' lists. Attorney General for Pakistan, Counsel for PTI chief Hamid Khan, Nadra Chairman and his counsel Afnan Karim Kundi and ECP secretary appeared before the bench.
During the course of the hearing, Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry observed that all the executive authorities were constitutionally bound to cooperate with ECP, adding that any change in plan relating to the schedule of the preparation of the electoral lists by ECP without SC direction was beyond court's understanding. According to him, it is the duty of ECP to ensure free and fair elections in the country. He further asked whether the new parliament would be formed by bogus votes as there existed fake voter lists.
On the occasion, the bench directed all the departments to extend co-operation to the ECP as well as Nadra in relation to completion of electoral lists. The CJP remarked that the plan to prepare electoral rolls in June 2012 was submitted by the Commission without the directions of the court. He said the case was taken up on December 20, 2011 when the SC noticed that no progress had been made when the ECP joint secretary was directed to put up a comprehensive report.
The ECP secretary contended that floods in different parts of the country, law and order situation in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and dengue epidemic in Punjab caused delays in the completion of electoral rolls and sought more time to prepare lists by proposing June 2012 as deadline for the task.
The Chief Justice cited relevant Articles of the Constitution of Pakistan, saying that it was the responsibility of the ECP to revise and prepare electoral lists every year. Expressing his displeasure, he stated that since 2008 the ECP had not fulfilled its duty. The CJP rejected secretary ECP's stance and directed him to complete the entire process to prepare electoral lists till February 23, 2012 and asked Nadra to expedite the work. The hearing was adjourned for two weeks.