The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Thursday granted stay order in favour of Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) against the directives of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), provincial election commission and the returning officer for NA-239.
The SSGC had prayed the court on April 30 that according to Section 9(1) of the Representatives of the People’s Act 1976, only the employees of federal and provincial governments, and corporations established or controlled by such governments could be appointed as presiding, assistant presiding and polling officers.
The SSGC is a public limited company originally incorporated under the Companies Act 1913, and presently existing under the Companies Ordinance 1984, therefore it does not fall within the ambit of Section 9 (1) of the People’s Act, the counsel for SSGC argued.
The RO for NA-239 constituency had issued various notices to the petitioner SSGC to provide the lists of its employees who would be appointed as presiding, assistant presiding and polling officers.
Furthermore, the stay order elaborated that “election commission has no authority either to call for the said list and/or to direct the employees of the petitioner to perform the duties and functions of polling agents in any election”.
