Local Govt: ‘Political parties have no basic rights’

LAHORE: A Lahore High Court’s division bench on Monday adjourned the hearing of a set of petitions against party-less polls in Punjab under the new Local Government Law, 2013. Advocate Salman Butt appeared on behalf of the local government department. He said the provincial government wanted to hold the local bodies’ polls on party-less basis in accordance with the law. He said there was no room for politics in the local government system. Butt opposed the petitioner’s argument that party-less polls violated fundamental rights, saying the Constitution provided fundamental rights to citizens, not political parties. The Pakistan Peoples Party, the Lawyers Foundation and the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf earlier concluded their arguments. They urged the court to direct the Punjab government to conduct the polls on party basis. The court then adjourned the hearing till Tuesday and directed an assistant advocate general to submit the government’s argument on the matter.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 29^th, 2013.