Pakistan Court Rules Election Commission’s Move to Delay Votes ‘Unconstitutional’

Voters cast their ballot at a polling station during the by-election in Punjab province assembly seat in Lahore on July 17, 2022. Arif Ali/AFP via Getty Images

Pakistan’s Supreme Court ruled on April 4 that the election commission’s (ECP) decision to delay voting for two key provincial assemblies was “unconstitutional” despite the country’s ongoing political turmoil.

The ECP had previously announced that the elections in Punjab, the country’s most populated province, would be rescheduled to Oct. 8 from April 30 because it lacked the required funds and security support.