One week’s notice: Give date for elections in cantonment areas, says SC

Supreme Court rejects govt’s plea seeking extension in election date.

ISLAMABAD:

The Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday rejected the government’s plea to extend ad hoc administration over local government elections in cantonment areas and directed the federal government and cantonment boards to give a set date for elections in cantonment areas.

The court has directed Additional Attorney General Shah Khawar to contact the authority to submit a clear reply within one week.

Hearing the case, the court expressed dissatisfaction over the government report, while Chief Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jilani remarked that in September last year, the defence secretary stated under oath that elections would be held, but they have yet to promulgate an ordinance.



The apex court will also be hearing a contempt of court case against Defence Secretary Lt General (Retd) Asif Yasin Malik.

Khawar told the three-member bench that the draft bill for elections in cantonment areas had been presented in the National Assembly and after it is approved by parliament, it will take 75 days for the preparation of voters list and delimitation.

“This means you people are not willing to conduct elections,” remarked Justice Khilji Arif.

Khawar replied that government was willing to hold election under the old law, but the SC had raised objections. To this assertion by Khawar, the Chief Justice said, “If the government was willing, it would have held the elections by now.”

The additional attorney general requested the court to allow more time to run the cantonment affairs as the earlier SC orders had caused delays in the work.

Justice Arif said first the government should suggest a date for the election before asking the court to consider such requests.

The court directed the government to submit a reply and adjourned the hearing till January 16.

One day in September

The end of what was supposed to be over in November last is not in sight yet.

In September last year the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in a letter to the government had expressed its serious apprehensions over possible delay in the local government elections in cantonment areas.

After a meeting with cantonment authorities and the defence secretary, on September 10, 2013, the ECP announced that elections in 42 cantonment areas will be held in the first week of November.

The director general of Military Land & Cantonment Department and defence ministry had informed the ECP that at Ormara Cantonment, there were some issues of census blocks and electoral rolls.

The commission had formed a committee headed by the then Balochistan provincial election commissioner.

“Since a commitment was made on behalf of the Ministry of Defence to complete the process of local bodies elections in cantonment boards by September 15, 2013, it was decided that the said ministry will move an application through the Attorney General of Pakistan by September 11, 2013,  whereby the ministry will apprise the apex court about the arrangements made and steps taken by both the organizations — ECP and cantonment authorities in connection with conduct of elections in cantonment boards and will make a request for extension in time for holding the elections in the first week of November, 2013” the minutes of September 10 meeting read.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 10^th, 2014.