The Supreme Court suspended on Tuesday two rulings of Lahore High Court (LHC) pertaining to suspension of Election Commission of Pakistan's (ECP) code of conduct for election campaigns by lawmakers. The LHC had suspended a notification by ECP that barred members of national and provincial assemblies from taking part in election campaigns for by-elections being held in various vacant constituencies across Punjab.
A three-member bench headed by Justice Saqib Nisar heard a case against LHC verdict on suspending ECP's code of conduct orders. The bench restored ECP decision of barring the parliamentarians from canvassing for the candidates of their respective parties. Resuming his arguments, the counsel for ECP argued that LHC verdict to suspend the commission's orders was an intervention in jurisdiction of the apex court. He also contended that the LHC gave its verdict without issuing notice to the Attorney General for Pakistan.
The ECP counsel said the LHC allowed parliamentarians to participate in election campaigns for their party candidates, adding the ECP order was meant to ensure the election code of conduct in order to ensure free and fair elections. He stated that LHC issued verdict against the ECP code of conduct which is an intervention in the affairs of the commission, adding it is a constitutional body, and its orders were solely meant to hold impartial elections without creating any controversy.