Contesting LG bill: Opposition weighs options
PPP will delay passage of the bill in Senate or take the matter to court.
PHOTO: EXPRESS
ISLAMABAD:
Encouraged by the Lahore High Court verdict on party-based local government elections in cantonments, major opposition parties are pondering on whether to contest the Islamabad local government bill in the parliament or in courts.
The Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government Bill 2014 was passed by the National Assembly on March 26 with a majority vote amid opposition from the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), envisaging local government elections in the federal capital on non-party basis.
Although the ruling PML-N managed to pass the bill through lower house, where the party is in majority, the bill still requires mandatory endorsement from the opposition-dominated upper house.
“PPP has the option to introduce the desired amendment - holding of local bodies’ elections on party basis - to the local government bill when it is tabled before the Senate for approval,” said a party loyalist close to Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani.
Not only the PPP, which is the single largest party in the 104-member upper house, even Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and Awami National Party (ANP) also favour the move, he added.
He, however, added that in the meantime PPP is also considering the prospects of delaying the bill by sending it back to the lower house after proposing amendments for consideration and fresh vote.
“It could consume significant time. As, on the other hand, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has already announced schedule for holding of local bodies’ elections in Islamabad on July 27, 2015,” he added.
The other option under consideration, he said, is to move the Islamabad High Court against the move.
“We have set precedents where in the recent past the Lahore High Court set aside PML-N’s decision of holding local government polls in the province on a non-party basis, while deciding a petition filed by the PPP, he added.
“Adopting this option will help save significant time, as in both the cases PML-N did not opt to challenge the LHC decisions,” he added. The final decision would be taken on April 3 when Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani returns from Vietnam, he added.
On March 30, the LHC ordered the government to hold LG polls on a party basis. The court gave the verdict on a petition filed PTI challenging LG polls in Punjab’s cantonment areas on non-party basis.
PTI is also contemplating over options to challenge the decision of holding polls on non-party basis in Islamabad.
Talking to The Express Tribune, Ali Nawaz Awan, who is overseeing the LG related issues, said PTI was waiting for the bill to be tabled before the Senate.
265 file papers in cantonments
Around 265 candidates filed their nomination papers to contest the local government elections in two cantonments — the Rawalpindi Cantonment Board and Chaklala Cantonment Board.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 1st, 2015.
Encouraged by the Lahore High Court verdict on party-based local government elections in cantonments, major opposition parties are pondering on whether to contest the Islamabad local government bill in the parliament or in courts.
The Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government Bill 2014 was passed by the National Assembly on March 26 with a majority vote amid opposition from the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), envisaging local government elections in the federal capital on non-party basis.
Although the ruling PML-N managed to pass the bill through lower house, where the party is in majority, the bill still requires mandatory endorsement from the opposition-dominated upper house.
“PPP has the option to introduce the desired amendment - holding of local bodies’ elections on party basis - to the local government bill when it is tabled before the Senate for approval,” said a party loyalist close to Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani.
Not only the PPP, which is the single largest party in the 104-member upper house, even Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and Awami National Party (ANP) also favour the move, he added.
He, however, added that in the meantime PPP is also considering the prospects of delaying the bill by sending it back to the lower house after proposing amendments for consideration and fresh vote.
“It could consume significant time. As, on the other hand, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has already announced schedule for holding of local bodies’ elections in Islamabad on July 27, 2015,” he added.
The other option under consideration, he said, is to move the Islamabad High Court against the move.
“We have set precedents where in the recent past the Lahore High Court set aside PML-N’s decision of holding local government polls in the province on a non-party basis, while deciding a petition filed by the PPP, he added.
“Adopting this option will help save significant time, as in both the cases PML-N did not opt to challenge the LHC decisions,” he added. The final decision would be taken on April 3 when Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani returns from Vietnam, he added.
On March 30, the LHC ordered the government to hold LG polls on a party basis. The court gave the verdict on a petition filed PTI challenging LG polls in Punjab’s cantonment areas on non-party basis.
PTI is also contemplating over options to challenge the decision of holding polls on non-party basis in Islamabad.
Talking to The Express Tribune, Ali Nawaz Awan, who is overseeing the LG related issues, said PTI was waiting for the bill to be tabled before the Senate.
265 file papers in cantonments
Around 265 candidates filed their nomination papers to contest the local government elections in two cantonments — the Rawalpindi Cantonment Board and Chaklala Cantonment Board.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 1st, 2015.