Hearing on writ petitions continues
The High Court (HC) continued the hearing of the writ petitions against the Election Commission's (EC) re-demarcation of parliamentary constituencies for the fourth day yesterday.
The bench of justices Mir Hasmat Ali and Shamim Hasnain adjourned the hearing until today.
Eleven writ petitions were filed with the HC after the EC published a gazette notification redrawing the constituencies.
Making his case, advocate TH Khan, counsel for petitioner Abdul Mannan, said the constitution requires the EC to redraw the parliamentary constituencies before finalising the voters' list which has not been the case this time.
He said the commission had issued the gazette notification without following the guidelines of the constitution.
He will make further submissions before the court today.
Earlier on Sunday, EC's counsel advocate Mahmudul Islam told the court that the commission put out the gazette as per Article 124 of the constitution.
He said as per Article 125 of the constitution, EC's action taken under Article 124 cannot be challenged in court, so the writ petitions challenging the said gazette notification cannot continue.
Earlier on August 7, the HC had stayed the gazette notifications for three months following the writ petitions and issued a rule on the government and the EC to show causes in two weeks as to why the July 10 gazette should not be declared unconstitutional and illegal.
The HC began final hearings on the writ petitions from October 22.
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