LAHORE: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday approached the Lahore High Court against the decision of a single bench directing the ECP to announce general election date in Punjab immediately.

A division bench had already issued notices on a similar appeal of governor Punjab against the verdict of single bench.

The ECP contended through its counsel in Intra-Court Appeal (ICA) that the single bench failed to consider that the constitutional provisions and the Election Act 2017 do not place any responsibility on the ECP for the pronouncement of the election date.

He said the interpretation of the single judge while applying the doctrine of penumbra to read the constitutional provisions is violative of the clear provisions of the Constitution. He pleaded that the single bench wrongly concluded that the governor is not empowered to announce a date for the election when he does not dissolve the assembly.

He said the petitioners including the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf had not sought a direction against the appellant but against the governor.

He therefore asked the court to set aside the impugned judgment of the single bench. The LHC single bench on February 10 had directed the ECP to announce the date of elections to the Punjab Assembly after consultation with the governor in his capacity as the constitutional head of the province.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023