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SC’s written order: April 4 election verdict enforced at all costs

The Supreme Court (SC) issued the written order of the ‘April 4 verdict’ on the election on Wednesday.

The Supreme Court’s written order has left no room for evasion as April 4 election verdict is to be enforced at all costs!

The federal government should release Rs21 billion to the Election Commission for elections by April 27. The violation or disobedience of a court order can have serious consequences,” warns the apex court.

  • If the order is still not implemented, there will be “serious consequences”.
  • The government should release funds of 21 billion rupees to the Election Commission for the elections by April 27.
  • The Ministry of Defense said in its report that the decision of April 4 should be withdrawn.

Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial headed a three-member bench, also comprising Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan and Justice Munib Akhtar.

It is the same bench that announced the April 4 verdict directing the government and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to hold polls in Punjab next month.

Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial remarked that the Supreme Court had now given a verdict on the Punjab polls and cannot go back on it and the time is to “move on”.

“[While] the briefing of the military authorities was very impressive and shed light on the actual situation [but] when the case was being heard, no one came to give us a briefing. A briefing was given [only] after the Supreme Court had announced its verdict. Now the decision has been announced, we cannot go back. Now, we must move forward,” CJP Bandial said.

A day earlier, top intelligence officials briefed the top court on the security situation.

On Tuesday, the defence ministry moved the top court and made the request for putting off the polls in Punjab.

Along with the application, the defence ministry also issued a report in SC in compliance with its directives to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and other departments to furnish reports after releasing Rs21 billion to the ECP for holding elections to the Punjab and KP assemblies.

“Due to the prevalent security situation and counter-terrorism operations being carried out in KP and Balochistan as well as the intelligence-based operations in Punjab and Sindh, the armed forces, Rangers, Frontier Constabulary and other forces are not logistically available to be repositioned and re-posted for providing election security, twice in six months,” the report said.

“Significant time is required to prepare the members of the armed forces for the election duty, given much of the force has been actively engaged in operations for a considerable period of time,” the application said.

It added that the security situation in Punjab and Sindh has been stable in light of the efforts of the ongoing operations in KP and Balochistan, respectively.

Therefore, any diversion of troops from KP and Balochistan will result in directly affecting the security situation in Punjab and Sindh, it said.

However, the SC order stated that it was pointed out to the attorney general that the plea could not be entertained or relief granted since the matter was already decided by a final judgement of the court and was thus “disposed of as not maintainable”.

Saman Siddiqui

I am a freelance journalist, holding a Master’s Degree in Mass Communication and an MS in Peace and Conflict Studies, associated with the electronic media industry since 2006 in various capacities. Here at OyeYeah, I cover a range of genres, from journalism to fiction to fashion, including reviews, and fact findings. 

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