ISLAMABAD     -   The Supreme Court of Pakistan was urged to initiate contempt of court proceedings against Khyber Pakh­tunkhwa (KP) Gover­nor Haji Gulam Ali for not fixing any date for holding provincial as­sembly’s elections, and punish him accordingly.

KP Speaker Mushtaq Ahmed Ghani Monday filed a contempt peti­tion under Article 204 of the Constitution read with Section 3 of the Contempt of Court Ordinance, 2003 and Order XVII of the Su­preme Court Rules. He further requested the apex court to get its or­der dated 01.03.2023 implemented without any further delay. He stated that the KP gov­ernor after meeting with the Chief Election Commissioner and the other ECP members on Martch 14, while talk­ing to a few journal­ists announced that he had finalised May 28 as the proposed date for general elections in KP and will soon issue a formal letter to this effect to the Election Commission. However, he added that no such letter appointing the date of poll, as prom­ised, was issued and things appeared to have been intention­ally relegated to some proverbial backburner for no valid rhyme or reasons. He further stated that a letter un­der his hand, started making rounds on the social media and other news platforms, wherein Contemnor/Respondent No. 1 is trying to justify that general elections should not take place in KP on multiple lame excuses and pretexts such as simultaneous elections in NA and Pas. The Contemnor/Respondent No. 1 is bent upon flouting and overturning a clear-cut order of this Apex Court. The petitioner maintained that the constitutional time­frame to hold general elections within 90 days was expiring fast and things were not at all moving.