SCBA president says press release against CEC issued without his approval

Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) President Shahzad Shaukat has contacted the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikander Sikander Sultan Raja, clarifying that the legal body issued the press release without his approval, The Express Tribune learnt on Tuesday. Earlier in the day, the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) and SCBA raised concerns over the poll procedure and the conduct of the CEC. Leaders from both legal bodies raised concerns about discrepancies in election procedures, delimitations, and seat allocations, calling for the urgent intervention of the Supreme Court to address these issues. Asserting that the CEC was unfit for ensuring fair elections, the SCBA called for him to step down to achieve their objectives of impartiality and equal opportunity for all stakeholders. Read more: CEC's conduct sparks concerns over fairness in upcoming elections However, later in the evening, sources said that Shaukat, who is currently in Makkah, made contact with Raja, saying that the press release was issued without his approval. They said that the SCBA president is expected to return to Pakistan on December 22 and provide his perspective on the issue. It is noteworthy that senior lawyer and Supreme Court advocate Ahsan Bhoon had challenged delimitation in Hafizabad at the Islamabad High Court. Bhoon asserted that no constituency in the country had a population exceeding 1.3 million, highlighting that Hafizabad's total population stood at 1.319 million, yet only one constituency was established. The court had asked the ECP to address the issues after hearing the complainants as soon as possible and pass orders along with them. Subsequently, the court sent the matter to the ECP.