Peshawar High Court (PHC) has directed the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to decide on Senate elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa within 60 days. As per details, the decision came in response to a petition filed by a candidate for the technocrat seat in the Senate elections.  Justice S.M. Ateeq Shah, in a six-page verdict, ordered the ECP to make a decision on the Senate elections by the law. The petition was filed in response to the ECP’s decision to postpone the Senate elections in the province due to a dispute over the administration of the oath to elected women on reserved seats. 

The ECP had cited a pending case before the Supreme Court regarding the allocation of reserved seats as the reason for the postponement. However, the PHC has now directed the ECP to decide on the Senate elections within the stipulated timeframe. Earlier, a petition was filed in Peshawar High Court seeking an order for the Senate election in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. “The Senate has been incomplete without representation of Khyber Pakhtunkwa province,” petitioner’s lawyer said in the high court.

“If the detailed judgment of the Supreme Court in special seats case, has been issued,” Chief Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim asked the lawyer. “The decision has been released but not being implemented,” the lawyer replied. The election commission’s lawyer told the court that a review petition has been filed to seek the court’s advice, how to move ahead. “A senator has six-year tenure but KP’s senators are yet to be elected,” petitioner’s lawyer said.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)