The Supreme Court’s three-member bench, led by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa and including Justice Aminuddin Khan and Justice Athar Minallah, will resume hearing of petitions calling for elections within 90 days. The bench is anticipated to schedule general elections once the Election Commission submits its response.
During Thursday’s hearing, the Election Commission expressed its preference for a February 11 polling date. Despite the ECP counsel’s assertion that consulting the president was not obligatory, the bench instructed that a consensus on the date should be reached by Friday’s hearing.
Chief Justice Isa emphasized that once the election date is set, it will remain unchanged, with the court ensuring its enforcement. Late on Thursday, the chief election commissioner, accompanied by the attorney general, met with President Arif Alvi. They reached a consensus that elections should take place on February 8, a decision officially announced by the ECP in a subsequent press release.
The bench is expected to be briefed on this development during Friday’s proceedings.
