Pakistan: Top Court Sets Punjab Provincial Election For May 14

Facts

• Pakistan's Supreme Court on Tuesday declared the decision made by the country's election commission to delay Punjab's provincial election from April 30 to Oct. 8 as unconstitutional, ordering the government to hold snap elections on May 14.¹
• The three-judge bench noted that neither the Constitution nor the law entitles the commission to extend the date of elections beyond 90 days, as enshrined in Pakistan's Constitution.²
• The top court also ordered the government to release 21B Pakistani rupees [~$72M] to the commission by April 10 and make security arrangements for election operations.³
• However, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's cabinet rejected the verdict, claiming a minority-ruled bench issued it in violation of the Constitution and is therefore 'inapplicable.'⁴
• Meanwhile, arguing that this process would lead to anarchy, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah threatened to impose a national emergency based on constitutional provisions.⁵
• The verdict comes as Pakistan's parliament passed a new law by a simple majority — against a Constitutional amendment — to curtail the powers of the Supreme Court's chief justice on March 30.⁶

Sources: ¹Al Jazeera, ²Dawn.com, ³Arab news pk, ⁴The nation, ⁵News and ⁶The hindu.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by Dawn.com. Pakistan's constitution clearly states that elections must be held within 90 days of an assembly's dissolution, which is why Tuesday's ruling is a win for both the constitution and the people. Prime Minister Sharif can continue to try and corrupt the electoral system, but his nefarious tactics are no match for the popularity of Imran Khan and his party.
• Narrative B, as provided by Republic world. As Pakistan faces dire security and economic situations, Imran Khan should not be allowed to destabilize the government. The country needs unification right now, and holding provincial elections separately from the general vote will only cause division. However, because elections are arriving sooner rather than later, the ruling Pakistan Muslim League party must show its strength by garnering support from all sides of the fragmented population.