PESHAWAR: Former federal minister and candidate for NA-24 Peshawar seat Haji Ghulam Ahmad Bilour on Monday moved Peshawar High Court against the postponement of by-polls, stating that there was no justification with Election Commission of Pakistan for the move.

Mr Bilour, who is central leader of Awami National Party (ANP), filed a petition, requesting the court to declare illegal and null and void the September 8 order of ECP about postponement of by-elections in 13 constituencies, including NA-31, Peshawar.

Earlier, the provincial president of ANP, Aimal Wali Khan, who is a candidate for NA-24 Charssada seat, has also filed a petition against the ECP orders on almost same grounds.

Mr Bilour, in his petition, requested the court to direct the respondents, including the chief election commissioner, to hold polling in NA-31 Peshawar, on September 25, as earlier scheduled by ECP.

ANP leader terms ECP’s order against law and Constitution

The petitioner is the joint candidate of Pakistan Democratic Movement in the constituency, where former prime minister and PTI chief Imran Khan is also contesting the by-elections.

The seat fell vacant after the National Assembly speaker accepted the resignation of the then MNA, Haji Shaukat Ali of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf.

The petitioner said that he was a contesting candidate and to his utmost surprise a press release was issued on September 8 by the chief election commissioner (CEC) through which by-polls were postponed in 13 constituencies, including NA-31, Peshawar.

He said that the reason given for the postponement of by-polls were the devastation caused by flash floods in different constituencies, where the personnel of Pakistan Army and other law enforcement agencies were busy in rehabilitation work.

Mr Bilour contended that the ECP’s move was against the law and in violation of Article 224 of the Constitution, which declared that general elections to National Assembly or a provincial assembly would be held within 60 days of the seat falling vacant.

The petitioner claimed that in many areas, the rehabilitation process of flood victims had been completed and the people were back to their normal routine including schools, colleges, offices and other businesses had been started.

Meanwhile, Mr Bilour told journalists that ANP was fully prepared for the by-polls and they were eager to face Imran Khan in the polls.

He said that Imran Khan had been considering himself above the law. He said that such like person should be expelled from the political arena by defeating him in the by-polls.

Published in Dawn, September 13th, 2022