Three-member bench to hear petition seeking contempt of court proceedings against ECP over level-playing field
- Top court to issue cause list regarding bench going to hear plea.
- Imran-led PTI seeks contempt of court proceedings against ECP.
- Justice Minallah observed party’s allegations “prima facie correct”.
ISLAMABAD: A three-member bench of the Supreme Court (SC) will hear a petition filed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) seeking contempt of court proceedings against the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) over “failure to provide a level-playing field” ahead of general elections — scheduled to be held on February 8.
The top court will issue a cause list regarding bench going to hear of the former ruling party’s plea.
On December 22, the Imran Khan-led party had moved the apex court seeking orders for the election commission to ensure a level-playing field.
A three-member bench comprising acting chief justice Sardar Tariq Masood, Justice Minallah and Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah had heard the petition.
During the hearing, Justice Minallah observed that the political party’s allegations of denial of the level-playing field were “prima facie correct”.
The top court had directed the ECP representative to meet the PTI counsels to address the party’s concerns regarding the level-playing field besides ordering the attorney general to assist the poll organising authority in the meeting.
The party had filed another petition on December 26, seeking contempt of court proceedings against the ECP over the electoral body’s alleged failure to ensure the level-playing field.
In its petition, it lamented the top electoral body’s failure to implement the apex court’s directions — despite being notified by the Punjab ECP — wherein it had ordered the poll organising authority to address the PTI’s concerns about the absence of a level-playing field.
The application referred to the top court’s ruling, in response to the PTI’s petition filed under Article 184(3) of the Constitution complaining of being denied equal opportunities in the political arena, where it directed the electoral body to meet with the party’s representatives and address its relevant concerns.
The party, in its recent application, contends that the ECP secretary failed to abide by the apex court’s December 22 verdict as PTI candidates continued to be harassed and arrested even after the top court’s ruling.
Furthermore, the plea — which mentions the ECP and interior secretaries as parties to the case along with the Inspector General Police (IGPs) of all four provinces — also levels serious allegations against the Punjab IG, labelling him as the “mastermind” behind the crackdown against the PTI.
Seeking action against those responsible for violating the court’s order, the party had prayed to the court to ensure that its candidates are allowed to hold rallies and political gatherings — as part of a level-playing field ahead of the polls.
The PTI is not the first party to complain of the lack of a level-playing field — a term used widely to lament the absence of equal opportunities for stakeholders — as Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) have also voiced concerns on the said issue on multiple occasions.
