Critical question: SC to provinces: why were LG polls not conducted?
The Supreme Court (SC) has sought a comprehensive report from the provincial governments for ignoring their constitutional obligations by not holding local body elections.
Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry directed the governments, via their respective chief secretaries, while hearing a case over the deteriorating law and order situation in Balochistan.
Observing that law and order can be improved by socio-economic development, he said: “There is a gap between the authorities and the concerned people, who are responsible to resolve their issues. There would be a high crime rate if people are unemployed with no socio-economic activities.”
The treasury bench asked why the provincial government had failed to hold local body elections considering they play a pivotal role in establishing contact with the public. “The councillors, Nazims and local representatives used to bring the common people’s complaints to the knowledge of concerned authorities ... now there is a huge gap between the people and the government,” the CJ observed. He added that holding elections for these local offices would empower the people and remove the current gap in communication.
The court directed the Balochistan chief secretary to discuss this issue with the province’s chief minister.
The CJ further directed that a comprehensive statement must be filed by each province to explain why local body elections were not being conducted despite a lapse of many years.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 6th, 2012.
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Dear Cheif Justice, Pakistan Supreme Court.
Local bodies is the essence of a democracy, and can full fill the dream of acheiving Harmony. Your question asking the reason of absence of local bodies is although late but very dire. The corruption in Pakistan is based on cyclic mutual understanding of corrupt politicians with hungry army generals fused with stinking bureaucracy. The Politicians allow high military budget, so in the name of keeping Pakistan save but infact to fill pockets of high ranking generals. In turns generals force bureacracy via Law enforment agencies to keep the Wadera's in politics. The politician abuse public tax money via yellow cab/laptop scam or bb income support or rental power project. They have their MPA's eat money at local level by having ghost schools and hospital on papers. In the result, the masses become so much ill-literate that they can not differ between right or wrong. That is why you experience specially in SIND that population is in support of commisionerate system. Although the commisionerate system did not gave them an inch of satisfaction, but still they want to oppose local bodies. merely because their party is against it.
in reality, The people in sind did not enjoyed mayor system because they voted for mayor who belong to same political families. Those mayor did not performed, and they are to be blamed solely not the system.
as a Pakistani citizen, i would request you to probe this matter, as this could resolve many ills of our society.
choosing commisioner over Mayor is like having selection over Merit or election. Thanks,