The Supreme Court has issued its six-page written order in the general elections case, wherein it issued a notice to Barrister Umair Niazi of the PTI and sought an explanation.
In its order, the apex court questioned why contempt of court proceedings should not be initiated against the PTI additional secretary general.
The Lahore High Court (LHC) had suspended the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision to recruit returning and district returning officers from the bureaucracy on a petition of Barrister Niazi.
However, the SC on Friday quashed the Lahore High Court's (LHC) verdict.
Also Read: LHC suspends bureaucratic involvement in 2024 general election
The Supreme Court’s verdict was clear: no one will disturb the democratic process, the written order stated, adding that Umair Niazi was apparently guilty of trying to derail the democratic process.
The LHC had stopped the work of 2,753 district returning officers (DROs), returning officers (ROs), and assistant returning officers, the order said. The court derailed the election process with a stroke of a pen, it added.
The DROs and ROs are not appointed specifically for elections, the order stated, adding that the posted officers are already performing duties as administrative officers.
The decision of the Lahore High Court is suspended, the Supreme Court ruled. It also restrained the high court from taking further action on the petition of the PTI leader.
Also Read: SC quashes LHC verdict on appointment of ROs, orders ECP to announce election schedule today
The Lahore High Court had on December 14 thrown a wrench into the general elections by suspending the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision to recruit ROs and DROs from the bureaucracy.
The decision came in response to a petition filed by PTI's Umair Niazi, addressing concerns about the fairness of the electoral process.
On Friday, the Supreme Court quashed the LHC order and ordered the ECP to announce schedule for upcoming general elections in the country. A three-member bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa and comprising Justices Mansoor Ali Shah and Sardar Tariq Masood, took up the case.
In the ruling, it was highlighted that an appeal had been lodged against the Lahore High Court's December 13 order. The lawyer indicated that issuing the election schedule became impractical due to the Lahore High Court's directive.
The ECP stated that conducting elections became unfeasible following the High Court's order, which suspended the notification appointing DROs and ROs for the electoral process.
