The Election Commission violated the Constitution by ignoring the Supreme Court’s decision of holding elections of Punjab, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies on May 14, legal expert Abid Zuberi said on Friday.

“The Constitution says that elections will be held within 90 days after the dissolution of any assembly, which the ECP did not follow,” he said on Aaj News show Rubaroo. “If they do not hold national elections within 90 days, who will enforce them?”

The ECP “with the utmost respect is not independent” as it refused to act on the decision of the Supreme Court regarding the elections in Punjab and KP, said Zuberi.

While it is good that the former president and former prime minister are in agreement on holding the polls on time, he added that it is the sole responsibility of the Election Commission to do it as Parliament has given it all the power.

“But we have seen that after the dissolution of Punjab and KP assemblies, the ECP, establishment, government and all institutions did not act on the Supreme Court decision,” he added.

“The apex court also did not take any action in this matter as various excuses were made such as lack of funds from Parliament and the army refusing to provide security,” said Zuberi.

For him, it does not matter if the national polls are held on time as the Constitution has been violated without anyone facing consequences for it.

“Nobody in this country has followed the Constitution,” he added.

PPP’s Nasir Hussain Shah said that PTI’s Haleem Adil Sheikh is still the leader of the opposition in the Sindh Assembly.

He was responding to a question regarding a likely change of the opposition leader in the provincial assembly.

“Although Sheikh does not attend assembly sessions, he is still the opposition leader and is welcome to the house any time,” he added.

PTI has 30 MPAs making it the second largest party in the assembly, followed by MQM-P which has 21 members. If any party secures a majority to nominate its opposition leader then the speakers will have to notify him as opposition leader, he added.

“However, no such notification has been issued as of now,” Hussain stated.