Lahore High Court stops bureaucrat deployment for elections 2024

The Lahore High Court (LHC) stops the bureaucrat deployment for general elections 2024 in the Punjab province of Pakistan. LHC suspended the notification of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to hold general elections in Punjab through bureaucrats.

LHC Justice Ali Baqar Najafi gave this verdict in favor of the petition of PTI. PTI had filed a petition challenging the recruitment of district returning officers (DROs) and returning officers (ROs) from the Punjab bureaucracy for general elections.

LHC halts bureaucrat deployment for elections 2024https://t.co/PfIjlHEdIp #LHC #bureaucrat #deployment #Elections2024 pic.twitter.com/APlGtxZY7u
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Lahore High Court Justice Ali recommended the establishment of a larger bench on the appeal against the bureaucrats holding elections in Punjab. He forwarded the file to the chief justice of Lahore High Court.

Why Lahore High Court stops bureaucrat deployment for polls?

The LHC noted in its five-page interim order that the poor had spent billions of rupees on electoral expenses. It went on to say that if the major political parties did not recognize the election results, the country’s money would be wasted.

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LHC stated that it was the ECP’s responsibility to hold free and fair elections. The judgment stated that to have transparent elections, candidates and voters must have equal opportunity.

It recognized that the desired results could not be obtained via general elections under the current situation. It could weaken the future of democracy.

The court order stated that it had identified a national concern and sent the file to the LHC chief justice to make the larger bench on this matter.

The petitioner PTI Secretary General Umair Khan Niazi filed a petition to Lahore High Court. He said that ECP contacted the government in search of returning officers.

According to petitioner Umair, the caretaker Punjab government cannot guarantee unbiased and transparent elections. He asked LHC to declare the relevant sections 50(1)(b) and 51(1) illegal and unconstitutional of the Elections Act 2017. DROs and ROs from bureaucracy appointed under this act. In this regard, Lahore High Court Justice Ali Baqar stops the deployment of bureaucrats.