Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court adjourned further hearing of the presidential reference seeking the court’s opinion over holding the Senate elections until Monday.
A five-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed hearing the presidential reference seeking the court’s advice over open ballot in the upcoming Senate election. Earlier, Justice Umar Ata Bandial observed that the local councils elections held under the local government election law.
“Article 226 also not applied on local councils elections, Attorney General Khalid Javed said. “The Article 7 of the constitution have a reference about local councils, while Article 140-A has given the new lease of life to it,” Chief Justice Of Pakistan Gulzar Ahmed remarked.
“The Article 140-A clearly says that the local governments will be formed under the law,” Justice Ijaz ul Ahsan said.
“Previous Senate elections were held under the secret ballot,” the chief justice observed.
“The lawmakers included the secret ballot clause and it is their discretion to keep it or not,” Justice Ijaz ul Ahsan remarked.
“The Election Act have no reference about the elections, used to be held under the constitution,” the AG said. “The senate polls won’t be held if the Election Act abrogated,” the state counsel further said.
Meanwhile, a counsel of the election commission informed the court that the electoral body has issued the schedule of the senate election. “The nomination papers will be received from tomorrow, while ballot papers are also required to be printed,” ECP counsel said. The ECP pleaded to the court for a sufficient time period for printing of the ballot papers.
The Supreme Court adjourned further hearing of the case till Monday.
The presidential reference was submitted by Attorney General of Pakistan Khalid Javed Khan after approved by President Arif Alvi under Article 186 of the Constitution.
