HC dismisses petitions; ‘no bar to schedule

The High Court has dismissed three separate writ petitions challenging the Election Commission’s gazette on the demarcation of parliamentary seats, which lawyers say clears the way for announcement of the schedule for elections.

The EC sat in an emergency meeting after the declaration of the verdict. The commission was originally set to declare the schedule on Nov 2 (Sunday), but was awaiting the High Court verdict.

The HC bench of justices Mir Hasmat Ali and Shamim Hasnain gave the verdict Sunday after concluding hearing of the petitions on Oct 30.

Shahdin Malik, lawyer for the EC, told bdnews24.com after the ruling that the court had ruled the commission’s gazette legal.

On voters being listed before the redrawing of 133 out of 300 constituencies—one of the main objections of the petitioner—the court said that the one had no relation to the other.

The ruling meant that the EC had no impediment to declaring the election schedule, Malik said, adding that the commission could announce the schedule any time it wished.

Bbarrister ABM Nurul Islam, lawyer for the petitioners, also told bdnews24.com that the HC ruling meant the commission could now declare the election schedule.

“But the decision whether we (the petitioners) will appeal against the verdict will be taken after discussions on the matter,” he said.

The High Court stayed the effectiveness of the gazette on demarcation of 300 parliamentary constituencies—which redrew the boundaries of 133 seats—for three months, on Aug 7.

Source: Bdnews24