The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Wednesday gave PTI-backed National Assembly candidate from Islamabad, Amir Mughal, time until October 17 to submit his replies to his opponent’s queries in a case related to transferring Islamabad constituencies’ Election Tribunal. A four-member bench headed by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja resumed hearing the case on transferring the election tribunal for Islamabad’s constituencies NA 45, 46, and 47. Amir Mughal’s counsel, Faisal Chaudhry, and Anjum Aqeel’s counsel, representing Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), appeared before the bench. Anjum Aqeel Khan’s lawyer told the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) that despite submitting revised applications and attending two hearings, they’re still waiting for a response from the opponents. Faisal Chaudhry, representing Aamir Mughal, informed the Election Commission that Mughal’s son has lost contact with his father, making it challenging to proceed.

The Commission set a deadline of 11:30 am (Wednesday) for a response, but Chaudhry countered that meeting this timeline is impossible without direct communication from Mughal himself. Essentially, Chaudhry sought more time to facilitate communication with Mughal before providing a response. The Chief Election Commissioner inquired about the assurance of contacting the client by October 17. In response, Amir Mughal’s lawyer requested the commission to make a unilateral decision if the reply is not submitted. The Election Commission granted Aamir Mughal until October 17 to submit his response. During the course of proceedings, CEC Raja warned Faisal Chaudhry not to dictate terms, prompting Faisal to assert, “We don’t come here to be insulted.” The CEC advised him to tone down his language. With restraint and resolve, Faisal asked the commission to make a decision on their pending application.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan