The reserved verdict was announced by Justice Ali Baqar Najafi, who issued notices to the caretaker federal and Punjab governments and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
In the written verdict, the LHC judge highlighted the important points raised in the PTI’s petition and noted that the decision of the election commission would have national-level implications.
الیکشن کمیشن کے سرکاری افسران کی بطور آر او تعیناتی معطل، لاہور ہائیکورٹ نے پی ٹی آئی کی درخواست پر محفوظ فیصلہ سنا دیا#ARYNews pic.twitter.com/VUAeyXeo34
— ARY NEWS (@ARYNEWSOFFICIAL) December 13, 2023
Justice Najafi pointed out the significant expenditure involved in general elections and emphasized the need for free and transparent elections with equal opportunity for all candidates.
Considering the current circumstances, the LHC judge expressed concern that the forthcoming elections might not yield the desired democratic results.
He requested the LHC Chief Justice to convene a larger bench to address this important issue and forwarded the case file accordingly.
The Lahore High Court was approached by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) to challenge the appointment of bureaucrats by the caretaker provincial government in Punjab as returning officers (ROs) for the upcoming general elections.
The petitioner, barrister Umair Khan Niazi, claimed that the presence of these officers from the state branch could compromise the transparency and fairness of the general elections.
The court was urged to direct the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to initiate a consultation process with the LHC Chief Justice for the appointment of judicial officers as DROs and ROs for the 2024 polls.
ECP appointments
In an earlier development on December 11, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) approved the appointment of Returning Officers (ROs) and District Returning Officers (DROs) for the upcoming general elections.
The ECP approved the appointment of 859 ROs and 142 DROs for the general elections in 2024.
The provincial election commissioners will administer the oath to the DROs, and the DROs will administer the oath to the ROs in their respective districts.
It was reported that deputy commissioners (DCs) of all districts would be appointed as the DROs, and assistant deputy commissioners (ADCs) would be appointed as the ROs for the National Assembly (NA) seats.
General elections
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) notified the general elections to be held on February 8, 2024.
According to the notification, the general elections will take place on February 8, 2024, in compliance with the Supreme Court’s order under Section 57 of the Election Act.