Lack of elected bodies in Cantt irks residents

LHC tells govt to announce fresh polls or restore bodies

RAWALPINDI:

After the dissolution of the elected board in the two cantonments of Rawalpindi, residents of these areas are facing problems getting necessary documents cleared apart from resolution of other civic and municipal problems.

Separately, a court has observed that either the government should withdraw the notification to dissolve these boards or announce dates for fresh elections of new bodies.

Residents of the Rawalpindi and Chaklala cantonment boards said that they usually visited the secretariat of the elected vice president of the cantonment boards for the resolution of their issues.

However, the government recently issued a notification dissolving these elected local bodies. They were instead replaced by three-member boards, comprising at least one civilian, for each cantonment board. However, the government failed to create these oversight boards.

As a result, people visiting the vice president’s secretariat cannot find anyone who would attest documents such as birth certificates and residency documents apart from resolving cantonment related issues. They are forced to approach the cantonment’s administration.

Disgruntled locals demanded that the previous administration should be restored so that their issues can be resolved.

Withdraw notice or announce polls

Separately, the Lahore High Court’s Rawalpindi Bench on Tuesday heard a petition filed by the former elected representatives of the cantonment boards.

Former vice presidents of the Rawalpindi and Chaklala Cantonment Boards, including Malik Munir Ahmed, Raja Irfan Imtiaz and others, told the court that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had allowed the elected cantonment board officials to keep working until new elections are announced.

However, they contended that the federal government had issued a notification, dissolving the boards but did not announce dates for the next elections. At this, the court observed that the government should either withdraw its notification or announce a date for fresh elections.

The court then directed the government to submit para-wise written replies and adjourned further hearings of the case until November 24.

The provincial government had previously dissolved the elected Rawalpindi Metropolitan Corporation and given the district administration charge of municipal matters in the city.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 18^th, 2020.