The Lahore High Court has ordered the Election Commission to hold the election for Punjab Assembly within 90 days. The court announced its judgment late Friday after reserving it earlier in the day.

“The ECP is directed to immediately announce the date of election of the Provincial Assembly of Punjab with the notification specifying reasons, after consultation with the governor of Punjab, being the constitutional head of the province, to ensure that the elections are held not later than ninety days as per the mandate of the Constitution,” reads the court verdict.

The PTI approached the LHC on Jan 27 to seek orders for the Punjab governor to immediately announce a date for an election in the province since the assembly had been dissolved on Jan 12. The ECP had recommended the elections be held between April 9 and 17.

LHC Justice Jawad Hassan, who announced the verdict, ruled that the ECP was bound to carry out elections within 90 days of the assembly’s dissolution and that it should issue the election schedule.

‘Sit and discuss national election’

PTI leaders took to Twitter to hail the court decision.

“It is a victory for the Constitution and the law. The federal government should sit with us and discuss the national election,” PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry said.

PTI Senator Faisal Javed also spoke in the same vein.

“The people would make their decisions in the election. The election is the only solution to the current crisis,” he said.

Friday’s hearing

In the hearing today, Punjab’s chief secretary and IG police appeared in court and told the court that they would comply with orders from the court and the election commission.

The governor’s lawyer told the court that with a caretaker government in place, the decision to announce elections cannot be made by the governor on his own. He also said that the court cannot order the governor to announce elections.

The election commission’s lawyer told the court that elections cannot be conducted until finds are released by the federal government. He also argued that announcing the election date was not within the ECP’s powers, and the governor could consult the president to make an announcement.

The Punjab Assembly was dissolved on January 14 after then CM Pervaiz Elahi won a confidence vote from the assembly. However, Governor Baligh-ur-Rehman refused to sign the summary, and the assembly was dissolved automatically.

Elections to a dissolved assembly must be held within 90 days according to Article 224 (time of election and by-election) of Constitution.