Punjab restores local bodies

Notification issued to reinstate 58k elected representatives on SC order

LAHORE:

Punjab government has restored the local bodies on the orders of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

Provincial Local Government Secretary Noorul Amin Mengal issued the notification, following which 58,000 elected representatives across Punjab are set to take charge of their posts.

The government decided to withdraw the administrators and activate the local government departments in a meeting presided over by Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar on Monday.

Chief Minister Buzdar directed the local government department to issue the notification in this regard with immediate effect. He underlined that all decisions would be made as per the law. The meeting was also attended by Punjab Local Government Minister Mian Mahmoodur Rasheed, principal secretary to the chief minister, the local government secretary and other senior officials.

The dissolved local bodies have been restored after about 25 months.

The Supreme Court had declared Section 3 of the Local Government Act unconstitutional and annulled Punjab government’s move to dissolve the local bodies prematurely.

However, the restoration of local bodies may create a new problem for the government as the majority of the elected representatives across Punjab belong to the opposition PML-N, which may also affect by-elections.

The local bodies formed under the Local Government Act 2013 were dissolved after two years, four months and four days. Later, the gazette notification of Punjab Local Government Act 2019 was issued.

After dissolving the local bodies, the Punjab government appointed the commissioners as their administrators in the nine divisional headquarters.

Despite the Supreme Court order, the provincial government initially did not seem serious about reviving the local bodies. The elected local body representatives turned to the Supreme Court, after which the issue was forwarded for final approval of the cabinet before restoring the institutions.

The cabinet approved the move and stipulated that the heads of local bodies would not be able to stop the ongoing development works or obstruct their payment.

The Punjab government had already reinstated the heads of local bodies on the orders of the court, but they were not given administrative and financial powers. Government sources say development projects worth Rs30 billion are under way in the province.

On the other hand, Lord Mayor Mubashir Javed said the people had won with the decision of the Supreme Court. He said Article 140A Section C of the Constitution had been violated.

“We have fought for the rights of citizens. The local bodies have been restored under the 2013 Act and will operate under the same law. The 2019 Act was drafted for the next local government elections and has not been fully implemented. The Supreme Court has reinstated the local body representative till December 31 this year. Punjab government has restored the institutions to avoid a case of contempt of court, which is a victory for the people,” he said.

“Even now, if there is an attempt to obstruct our work, we will go to court,” Mubashir Javed added.

Amid elation among the 58,000 reinstated local body representatives, the government reportedly made preparations to maintain order upon their arrival the offices.

Earlier in the day, Lahore High Court’s (LHC) Justice Ayesha A Malik adjourned hearing of a petition seeking compliance with the Supreme Court’s order for restoring the local bodies. The proceedings were adjourned because the matter was pending in the apex court.

Lahore Lord Mayor Colonel (retd) Mubashir Javed and others had filed the petition contending that the country’s top court had restored the local bodies but the provincial government had not complied with the order.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 19^th, 2021.