Discord on all fronts: JUI-F to challenge local government act in court

Panel of lawyers constituted to review the law.

PESHAWAR:

Following the Awami National Party’s (ANP) footsteps, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) on Saturday hinted it is also mulling over options to challenge some sections of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Local Government Act 2013.

The decision was taken at a meeting of JUI-F’s committee for local government (LG) polls. A statement issued after the meeting said the party demanded LG polls for village and neighbourhood councils be held on party basis to eliminate wastage of funds. The party also demanded the provincial government to immediately announce dates for the elections.

Participants of the meeting decided to challenge certain sections of the act in the court on Monday and a panel of lawyers was constituted comprising Advocate Jalaluddin, Advocate Obaidullah Anwar and Advocate Essa Khan. The panel will review the law and confront it after mutual consultation.

The ANP on Friday challenged some of the clauses – including non-party based elections for village and neighbourhood councils, abolishment of union councils and chief minister’s power to suspend nazim and naib nazim – in the Peshawar High Court.

K-P Assembly recently passed the Local Government Act 2013 amid criticism from the opposition. Though 125 clauses of the bill were passed unanimously, two were passed with a majority.

Legal wrangling on the LG law is also likely to delay polls, which authorities have hinted are scheduled for March-April next year.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 15^th, 2013.