Judiciary reluctant to lend its officers for local bodies elections

Judicial authorities were of the view that their officers should not be part of the election process this time around.


Naeem Sahoutara November 06, 2013
The local government secretary has sent a letter to the Sindh High Court, requesting the chief justice to nominate district and sessions judges in all the districts. PHOTO: ONLINE/FILE

KARACHI:


The Sindh government is all set to conduct the local government election on November 27 but unlike the general election on May 11, they might have to do without the help of judicial officers, The Express Tribune learnt on Wednesday.


The local government secretary has sent a letter to the Sindh High Court, requesting the chief justice to nominate district and sessions judges in all the districts to perform the election appellate duties during the upcoming election.

Judicial authorities were of the view, however, that their officers should not be part of the election process this time around, said sources.

“The judiciary had extended support during the general elections on the special request made by the then chief election commissioner, Justice (retd) Fakharuddin G Ebrahim. But now the authorities believe that the judiciary should stick to its previous stance of not becoming a part of the election process,” explained a judicial officer on the condition of anonymity. The Supreme Court of Pakistan had said that the judiciary would not be involved in the election but later assigned judicial officers to assist the executive by performing duties as district returning officer and returning officers.

Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, in his May 2012 address to the district returning officers in Karachi, said that their services were extended to the executive on special request of the Election Commission of Pakistan for the sake of democracy.

Although no decision has been taken on the secretary’s request for the local government elections, sources said that the chances of judicial officers performing election duties were slim.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 7th,2013.

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