ISLAMABAD:Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) senior leader Mohsin Shahnawaz Ranjha on Tuesday said that it would have been in the larger national interest if a full-member Supreme Court bench had heard the case regarding elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Talking to media outside the Supreme Court premises after the three-member bench decision about the election in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, he said a full-member bench had given the decision and all political parties expressed satisfaction over that.
He said the apex court has announced a new schedule for the elections of Punjab on May 14.
“As per Pakistan’s constitution holding free and fair elections lies with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). ECP is the only institution that has the right to hold elections,” he said.
He said ECP had expressed its inability to conduct general elections within three months (April 30), citing various legal hitches and procedural challenges as the reason.
“The Election Commission of Pakistan then announced to hold elections on October 8. The case hearing had started with a nine-member bench of the apex court that unfortunately came down to the number of a three-member panel of judges,” he said.