Presidential election to be held on July 30 : SC

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court has ordered that the presidential election be held on the July 30 and not on August 6 as announced earlier by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

Soon after the above order, the ECP also issued a new schedule for holding the presidential poll on July 30.

The Supreme Court was hearing a petition filed by PML-N chairman Raja Zafarul Haq seeking a change in the date of the election as several members of parliament would be out of the country due to pilgrimage or engaged in Eitakaaf.

The federation endorsed Raja Zafar ul Haq's plea before the Supreme Court to direct the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to reschedule the upcoming presidential election for July 30 instead of August 6.

During the hearing, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry asked the Attorney General whether there existed any constitutional hurdle for rescheduling the election. The Attorney General confirmed that there exists no constitutional bar in holding the presidential election on July 30 and Public Representation Act has no obstruction in the way of presidential election.

The Chief Justice in his remarks said that prima facie there was no bar in holding the presidential election on July 30, adding that the ECP should facilitate.

ECP in the apex court took the stance that it needed time for making arrangements for holding the election.