LAHORE: The Lahore High Court Wednesday suspended the schedule of the by-polls in two constituencies NA-108 Faisalabad and NA-118 Nankana Sahib to be held on May 28 and sought a reply from the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) within fortnight.

The court issued the stay order on two separate petitions by PTI leaders Farrukh Habib and retired Brig Ijaz Shah.

Earlier, the petitioners’ counsel argued that by-poll could not be held in a constituency if there was less than 120 days in the conduct of general election of the national assembly. They pointed out that the Peshawar High Court also suspended the by-election in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on the same ground.

They said the caretaker government and the ECP were not ready to hold general elections in Punjab and KP due to alleged shortage of funds but announced the schedule for the by-polls.

They asked the court to restrain the ECP from holding the by-poll in the two constituencies.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023