Local bodies polls: LHC dismisses ECP’s appeal

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court has dismissed an intra-court appeal of the election commission seeking reinstatement of the original schedule of the upcoming local bodies elections on reserved seats.

On August 8, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) announced the dates for polls on the indirect seats in district councils, municipal corporations and metropolitan corporations to be held on September 1, 2 and 3 respectively. The administration of oaths was scheduled for September 10.

On August 23, however, LHC Chief Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah set aside the schedule for the elections on reserved seats in the Punjab and directed ECP to issue a fresh schedule.

On November 19, 2015, local bodies elections in Punjab were completed and since then elections on reserved seats of minorities, women, labour, kisan councillors are pending. Even the elected representatives on general seats in local bodies have not been given authority.

On Monday, an LHC division bench, comprising Justice Ayesha A Malik and Justice Shams Mahmood Mirza, passed the order against the issuance of a new agenda.

The ECP’s appeal filed by Advocate Hafiz Muhammad Saleem stated the candidates had already submitted their nomination papers and should be given the right to contest elections on reserved seats. The lawyer said the court’s termination of the election schedule was further delaying the elections.

PML-Q’s counsel Mobinuddin Qazi submitted the government had withdrawn amendments made to the local government laws but the elections were to be held as per law on August 26, 2015.

He alleged that on the deadline day for submission of nomination papers on January 20, the government amended the law, changing the mode of filling the reserved seats from indirect elections to proportional representation.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 27^th, 2016.