A delay in the elections based on the excuse of delimitation process and decisions taken in the Council of Common Interests will be unconstitutional and illegal practice, said legal expert Abid Zuberi.

“Article No.224 of the Constitution deals with the elections. It is a mandatory article which gives a 90-day period for holding elections. It is written nowhere in the Constitution that you can delay the elections for delimitation process,” he told Shaukat Piracha on Rubaroo.

He was of the view that the Election Commission of Pakistan has completely failed in carrying out its duty.

“We have seen that they [ECP] did not hold elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab despite the Supreme Court’s orders,” Zuberi said.

For him, the former PDM government introduced amendments that were person-specific with the aim to close the cases against PDM leaders.

“I have always believed that the NAB law has been used for political victimisation. I believe this law should not have been placed,” he added.

Former deputy attorney general of Pakistan Raja Khalid Mehmood called for following the Constitution to ensure the stabilisation of all institutions.

Responding to a question regarding the apex court’s action on the elections delay, he said that he was not sure if the current or coming chief justice will take up the case.

CJP Umar Ata Bandial might take up the case by declaring it the most urgent before his retirement, Mehmood said.

He also pointed out the pendency issues in the apex court by saying that more than 50,000 cases are pending before the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

Talking about the president’s ascent to the Official Secrets Act, he did not believe that the act is not an attempt to target PTI chief Imran Khan specifically.

However, he said that the PTI chief will come under the ambit of the Act if he is found to be involved in disclosing the US cipher.

Analyst Nazir Leghari said that the National Accountability Bureau has always been used for political victimisation and to dry-clean some people.

“This institution was established to dry clean some and grab others. This has happened as one individual admitted doing corruption and was given a clean chit,” he added.

He was of the view that the Pakistan Penal Code and civil justice system should be imposed instead of giving additional power to the corruption watchdog.