Uncertain future: Local Government Bill 2014 yet to reach G-B’s governor office

Legislation being vetted by law department officials, say lawmakers.

GILGIT:

As the tenure of the Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) government draws to a close, the fate of the Local Government Bill 2014 hangs in the balance.

The bill was passed unanimously by the G-B legislative assembly on August 18, but has yet to reach the governor’s office where it will be signed by the governor and made into a law.

“The bill hasn’t yet reached us,” an official at the governor’s office confirmed on Wednesday.

“However, the governor will immediately approve the bill whenever it is brought to him,” he added.

Excessive delays in the bill reaching the governor’s office serve a cause for concern. On December 13, an interim government will seize the reins until elections bring in new rule. Since the countdown has already started, the bill is likely to be forgotten or ignored.



“This is a critical phase for the government and it shouldn’t let the progress it has made on the bill go to waste,” said Sajid Iqbal, a civil society activist.

The bill was prepared after consultations with stakeholders in Gilgit, Skardu and Islamabad by Gilgit-Baltistan Police Institute (GBPI), a not-for-profit organisation.

According to legal experts, if the bill is not endorsed by the governor during his tenure, the interim government and its successor may put the bill on the backburner.

“There is no guarantee of the future of the bill if it doesn’t get through this time,” said Advocate Jamal.

Under deliberation

According to information shared by lawmakers with The Express Tribune, the bill is pending with the G-B law department where ‘it is being vetted by officials.’

“I cannot understand why the bill is being vetted by the law department once it is passed by the assembly. This should have been done before it was tabled in the house,” said a lawmaker requesting anonymity.

However, Law Minister Ali Madad Sher has expressed optimism about the completion of the process. “The assembly has performed its task and I am sure the bill will be signed by the governor soon,” Sher told The Express Tribune.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 16^th, 2014.