Islamabad (Staff Report/Agencies): Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial on Monday asked the government and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to resume talks again.
A three-member bench of the Supreme Court (SC) headed by CJP Bandial and comprising Justices Ijazul Ahsan and Munib Akhtar heard a plea filed by the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) requesting the top court to revisit its April 4 order of holding elections to the Punjab Assembly on May 14 for one week.
During the hearing, the CJP observed that the electoral watchdog had raised the issue of funds and security previously. “Today, the ECP has raised a question [mark] regarding the court’s jurisdiction,” he said and added, “We will hear all the parties in the case.”
The court issued notices to the respondents in the case, including the attorney general for Pakistan and advocate generals of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and adjourned the hearing till next Tuesday.
On April 4, the same bench ruled the ECP's decision to hold elections in Punjab on October 8 instead of April 30 was “illegal”, ordering the electoral watchdog to hold polls in Punjab on May 14.
