Balochistan sets December 7 as deadline for local body polls

Army and FC personnel to be deployed in the province.

QUETTA: Local bodies (LB) elections in Balochistan will be held by December 7, Express News reported on Tuesday.

Assistance from the Army and FC in maintaining security will be sought.

Earlier, the Supreme Court had directed the provincial governments and Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) to answer why they hadn't held LB polls despite clear orders from the court.

The court had then given the deadline of September 15 for holding the LB elections in all four provinces and Islamabad.

Later, a three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, had asked the ICT  and provincial governments whether or not they were bound by the constitutional provisions, particularly Articles 5, 32, 38 (a & b) and 140A.

The bench said the prime minister, chief ministers, ministers, Members National Assembly, senators and Members Provincial Assembly had taken oath under the constitution and therefore it was obligatory for them to follow the constitutional provisions.