On Thursday, President of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), AbidZuberi, expressed his belief that Chief Election Commissioner (CEC)Sikandar Sultan Raja should face trial under Article 6 of the Constitution,which deals with treason.
This call for legal action arises from Raja’s alleged violation of theSupreme Court’s orders and the Constitution itself, as he failed to conductelections within 90 days following the dissolution of an assembly.
On March 1, the Supreme Court issued a split verdict, mandating thatelections for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Punjab assemblies be heldwithin 90 days. This directive emerged from a suo motu notice verdict,announced by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial. In response to the SC’sruling, President Arif Alvi consulted with the Election Commission ofPakistan (ECP) and declared April 30 as the date for the Punjab polls.Subsequently, the electoral authority postponed the Punjab elections toOctober 8, citing security concerns as the primary reason for this changein plans.
In April, the Supreme Court declared the ECP’s decision regarding thePunjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) elections null and void. It ordered snappolls, a persistent demand pushed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)Chairman Imran Khan after he dissolved the assemblies in both provinces.
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The top court directed the ECP to hold elections in Punjab on May 14, adirective that the ECP was unable to comply with. Speaking at the LawyersConvention organized by the SCBA, Abid Zuberi criticized the ECP,emphasizing that the Supreme Court’s order had yet to be effectivelyimplemented. He also announced the SCBA’s intention to challenge recentamendments to the Official Secrets Act and the Pakistan Army Act in theSupreme Court.
Adding to the criticism, veteran lawyer Aitzaz Ahsan labeled CEC SikandarSultan Raja as a “facilitator” and “violator of the Constitution” for hisalleged failure to conduct general elections in the country on time.
