Delay in LG polls in K-P irks apex court

Says it will initiate contempt proceedings if provincial govt continues to violate Constitution

ISLAMABAD:

The apex court has expressed annoyance over delay in the local government (LG) election in Khyber Pakhtunkwa (K-P) province and warned that the court will initiate contempt proceedings against the PTI led provincial government if it continues to violate the Constitution.

“Why the K-P government has not conducted LG polls in the province despite a lapse of 14 months. We will not allow violation of the people’s right,” noted Justice Qazi Faez Isa on Wednesday.

Justice Isa was part of a division bench hearing a petition that called for implementing clauses 39 and 41 of the K-P Local Governments Act, 2013.

“You talk about holding election in Kashmir region but you don’t hold election in your own province. Don’t the people of the province have rights? You are depriving them of their rights by not holding the LG polls,” the judge noted.

He observed that the government is applying the governance style of the first world countries on Pakistan, a third world country, according to a cold war era categorization of world regions.

Addressing the counsels for the provincial government, Justice Isa asked why they were afraid and why they were trying to protect the government. “You don’t need to be afraid of anyone. God will protect you,” he added.

Justice Qazi Faez Isa also lambasted the PTI led federal government for the continuation during its rule of the so-called “VIP culture” that involves suspension of usual traffic on designated routes during movement of the motorcades of prominent persons.

“Is this your version of the State of Madina?” he asked. Prime Minister Imran Khan has been continually saying that he wants to reconfigure Pakistan on the model of the first welfare state of the world established after advent of Islam with its centre in the holy city of Madina.

The court also expressed displeasure over absence of the K-P advocate general in the courtroom.

“The advocate general is a very busy person. He gets paid from people’s money. It is responsibility to appear in court [when it is hearing a case related to province],” Justice Isa noted.

The bench later issued notice to the advocate general and ordered him to appear along with an implementation report on December 15. The court also issued notices to the Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).