A special three-member Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandiyal would take up the review petition filed by the Election Commission of Pakistan to review the April 4 order of holding elections in Punjab. May 14 came, waited for the executive to pay heed to the constitution and quietly passed as a non-affair. Despite a clearly-worded ruling by the Supreme Court that had declared the ECP order regarding the much-talked-about delay in the light of financial and security constraints null and void, no polls are in sight. To this country’s great misfortune, the very foundation on which its democracy rests has been manhandled. As the security agencies refused to provide personnel and the finance minister refused to hand out the required funds to carry out a critical government-making exercise, the ECP fished for excuses To explain its refusal to appoint Returning Officers.
Meanwhile, the political activity also refused to kick off as a very confident PML (N) did not issue any tickets. An intimation by none other than the sitting chief justice of the country that the apex court would not side idle seems to have fallen on deaf ears. No matter what the future may bring, the writing on the wall indicates someone high and mighty might be sent home packing.
