ISLAMABAD: The federal government and the caretaker Punjab government have submitted their written replies to the Supreme Court, opposing the immediate elections in the province.
The Chief Secretary of Punjab, on behalf of the Punjab government, submitted a written response to the Supreme Court regarding the issue of setting a date for elections.
In the response, the Punjab government stated that the authority to set the date for elections does not lie with the Supreme Court, but with other state institutions. They argued that the constitutional separation of powers was violated by setting the date for elections on May 14.
The response mentioned that conducting transparent elections under Article 218 is the responsibility of the Election Commission, and the Supreme Court did not set the date for the by-polls. The power to change the election program lies with the Election Commission.
The Punjab government further stated in the response that after Imran Khan’s arrest, military properties were damaged, intense protests and demonstrations took place, resulting in 162 injured police personnel and 97 police vehicles set on fire. The security situation in the province have changed after the incident on May 9.
In the written response, the Punjab government also mentioned that for elections in Punjab, 554,000 security personnel will be required, but currently only 77,000 personnel are available.
Meanwhile, the federal government has also requested a review of the Punjab election case. The federal government has submitted its reply to the Supreme Court in response to the Election Commission’s review appeal.
