Contempt plea filed against PM Shehbaz, others for violation of SC order

• Advocate G M Chaudhry files plea in SC under Article 204.
• PM, CEC, ECP members, Punjab interim CM, chief secretary named respondents.
• Petition says respondents violated apex court's order of March 1, 2023.

ISLAMABAD: A contempt of court petition was filed in the Supreme Court against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja and others for violating its order on holding elections in Punjab, The News reported Sunday. 

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Wednesday announced the postponement of the upcoming elections in Punjab — initially scheduled to be held on April 30 — citing security reasons as the major cause behind the change of plan.

The government welcomed the electoral body's decision, however, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has vehemently rejected it and challenged it in the apex court.

Advocate G M Chaudhry filed a petition in the top court under Article 204 of the Constitution, read with Sections 3 and 4 of the Contempt of Court Ordinance 2003, for initiating contempt proceedings and directing the respondents to implement the judgement of the apex court passed on March 1, 2023, in a suo motu case regarding elections.

The petitioner made the prime minister, CEC, ECP members, Punjab Caretaker Chief Minister Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi and chief secretary respondents.

He submitted that the respondents have violated the apex court order of March 1, 2023, which amounts to contempt of the apex court in terms of Article 204 of the Constitution.

He further submitted that the respondent chief election commissioner, along with other four ECP members, issued an order dated March 22, 2023, pointing out different reasons and situations which are clear descriptions that all the respondents have miserably failed to perform their constitutional obligations, functions and duties. 

“The respondents are directly contemner due to non-compliance of the said order of the apex court passed on March 1, 2023, in suo motu case”, the petitioner submitted. 

He prayed the Supreme Court to initiate proceedings against the alleged contemners by summoning them for their wilful and intentional acts in violation of the court order, punishable under the provisions of the Contempt of Court Ordinance 2003.