ECP notifies 8 election tribunals for Punjab

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Thursday finally notified eight election tribunals for Punjab, including five sitting and three retired judges of the High Court.

The development has taken place following a long-drawn ‘legal bout’ between the Lahore High Court (LHC) and the Election Commission over the power to appoint election tribunals. The notification has seen the light of the day after the Supreme Court annulled unilateral appointment of election tribunals by the LHC.

According to the notification issued here, those appointed as tribunals include Justice Sultan Tanvir Ahmed, Justice (R) Rana Zahid Mehmood, Justice Muhammad Iqbal Chaudhry, Justice Anwar Hussain, Justice (R) Mahmood Maqbool Bajwa, Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfaraz Dogar, Justice (R) Zafar Iqbal and Justice (R) Abdul Shakoor Piracha.

“In partial modification of the Commission’s earlier notifications dated 26.04.2024 & 07.06.2024 and in pursuance of the provisions of Article 219(C) of the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan read with Section-140 of the Elections Act, 2017, the Election Commission of Pakistan in consultation with the Hon’ble Chief Justice, of Lahore High Court, Lahore for appointment of sitting judges as Election Tribunals and in pursuance of Section 140(2)(a) of the Act, appoints with immediate effect the following sitting & retired judges to act as Election Tribunals for General Election-2024 according to jurisdiction mentioned against their names for the trial and disposal of Election Petitions pertaining to National/ Provincial Assembly Constituencies for General Elections-2024 and subsequent bye-Elections,” explains the notification.

Back in July, the Election Commission had challenged the LHC’s decision to appoint six tribunals to settle the election disputes in Punjab. In a petition filed before the Supreme Court, it had also questioned whether the ECP or LHC had the final say in the appointment of tribunals.