Party basis LG polls: Opposition parties jubilant over LHC ruling

RAWALPINDI:

Opposition parties welcomed the Lahore High Court’s (LHC’s) ruling declaring that the local government (LG) polls in cantonment boards will be held on party basis.

The ruling, however, came as a shock for the PML-N, which has been facing internal rifts in the Rawalpindi division.

Opposition parties had challenged at the LHC the government’s decision to hold LG elections on a non-party basis.

Soon after the LHC verdict, the PTI and PPP convened meetings to thrash out strategies to launch election campaigns on party platforms.

“LG polls mean transfer of power to grassroots level, which the PPP has always struggled for,” claimed Amir Fida Paracha, a local PPP leader.

Regarding alliances, he said no decision had been taken so far, nor any alliances are under consideration yet. PPP would rely on its traditional vote bank, keeping in view PTI influence on cantonments.

“The PTI has a strong vote bank in cantonment areas as most of its sit-in participants in Islamabad were from cantonment localities,” said 64-year old Muhammad Miraj, a resident of Dhok Sayyedan.

Former Member National Assembly and PML-N leader Hanif Abbasi said that such decisions did not have bearings on the party position or vote bank during elections.

“We have been involved in the politics of this city since independence. People know us and our services,” he said, hoping that his party would clean sweep elections despite internal rifts.

“The LHC decision would help strengthen democratic values and the Jamaat-e-Islami welcomes it,” said JI district president Sajjad Abbasi.

Published in The Express Tribune, March  31^st,  2015.