ISLAMABAD (Daily Point) — During a court hearing on Tuesday, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa expressed concerns about potential efforts to hinder upcoming elections.

The Supreme Court was addressing the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) appeal regarding the suspension of the PK-91 Returning Officer (RO) by the Peshawar High Court (PHC).

The ECP’s lawyer argued that the PHC suspended the RO on December 27 without notifying the ECP, emphasizing that the original RO from Kohat had taken medical leave, and the PHC had not raised objections to the appointment of a new RO.

Chief Justice Isa questioned if the complainant desired to choose their own returning officer, raising suspicions about tactics aimed at preventing elections. He highlighted the sudden cancellation of the RO’s appointment by the PHC and suggested the possibility of imposing fines for the abrupt decision.

Expressing dissatisfaction with the High Courts’ orders, Justice Isa criticized the lack of notice issuance by the Peshawar High Court judge. He questioned the necessity of appeals and emphasized the need for the Election Commission to initiate the scrutiny process promptly.

The court concluded that the Election Commission had not taken any illegal or unconstitutional actions and urged them to commence the scrutiny process without delay. The appeal filed by the Election Commission against the Peshawar High Court’s decision was accepted.