Parties slowly waking from slumber
Vote on Islamabad Local Government Bill in Senate on June 11
According to a revised schedule issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), the delimitation process would be completed by June 15. PHOTO: AFP
ISLAMABAD:
As political parties await the passage of the ICT Local Government Bill 2015 from the Senate to start preparations for local bodies’ polls in the capital, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) seems to have taken the lead by announcing formation of parliamentary boards to decide party candidates.
PTI has announced to form two parliamentary boards, one each for NA-48 and NA-49 to decide on party candidates. A four-member appellant board, headed by Sardar Azhar Farooq, has also been constituted to address objections of those who will be denied tickets.
“Appellant board is also mandated to oversee the issues related to delimitation of constituencies,” said Ali Nawaz Awan, a member of the board. Awan said PTI would field candidates in all 79 union councils (UC) of the city.
PPP Islamabad chapter president Faisal Sakhi Butt said the party leadership was due to hold meeting with the local leadership today (Monday). “Hopefully, a committee will be formed on Monday which will award party tickets,” Butt said, adding PPP would be fielding candidates in all 79 UCs.
Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) Islamabad President Abrar Raza said he had been heading an 11-member parliamentary board of the party to decide on candidates. “PAT has already awarded tickets for different positions in UCs to nearly 200 candidates,” Raza said.
The bill for the conducting LG polls in the capital was passed by the National Assembly (NA) on March 26 and was tabled in the Senate on April 1, after which it was referred to Senate Standing Committee on Interior when the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) objected to elections on non-party basis. The bill is still pending with the committee.
A local PML-N leader Sajid Abbasi said the party was awaiting outcome on the local government bill and completion of the process of delimitation of constituencies in Islamabad.
JI Punjab vice-president and former MNA Mian Aslam, who unsuccessfully contested 2013 elections for NA-48, said the delay in passage of the law was affecting parties’ campaigns.
“JI requests the government to act in accordance with the directions of the Supreme Court and issue at the earliest an ordinance for holding local government elections in Islamabad,” Aslam said. He said JI would field not only party workers but also those who are out of the party’s fold. The tickets, he said, would be awarded after the law is passed.
According to a revised schedule issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), the delimitation process would be completed by June 15. The schedule submitted with the Supreme Court of Pakistan by the ECP says the elections will be held in Islamabad on July 27.
The bill was tabled before the standing committee on May 28. The committee will present its report to the Senate for the final vote on June 11.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 1st, 2015.
As political parties await the passage of the ICT Local Government Bill 2015 from the Senate to start preparations for local bodies’ polls in the capital, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) seems to have taken the lead by announcing formation of parliamentary boards to decide party candidates.
PTI has announced to form two parliamentary boards, one each for NA-48 and NA-49 to decide on party candidates. A four-member appellant board, headed by Sardar Azhar Farooq, has also been constituted to address objections of those who will be denied tickets.
“Appellant board is also mandated to oversee the issues related to delimitation of constituencies,” said Ali Nawaz Awan, a member of the board. Awan said PTI would field candidates in all 79 union councils (UC) of the city.
PPP Islamabad chapter president Faisal Sakhi Butt said the party leadership was due to hold meeting with the local leadership today (Monday). “Hopefully, a committee will be formed on Monday which will award party tickets,” Butt said, adding PPP would be fielding candidates in all 79 UCs.
Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) Islamabad President Abrar Raza said he had been heading an 11-member parliamentary board of the party to decide on candidates. “PAT has already awarded tickets for different positions in UCs to nearly 200 candidates,” Raza said.
The bill for the conducting LG polls in the capital was passed by the National Assembly (NA) on March 26 and was tabled in the Senate on April 1, after which it was referred to Senate Standing Committee on Interior when the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) objected to elections on non-party basis. The bill is still pending with the committee.
A local PML-N leader Sajid Abbasi said the party was awaiting outcome on the local government bill and completion of the process of delimitation of constituencies in Islamabad.
JI Punjab vice-president and former MNA Mian Aslam, who unsuccessfully contested 2013 elections for NA-48, said the delay in passage of the law was affecting parties’ campaigns.
“JI requests the government to act in accordance with the directions of the Supreme Court and issue at the earliest an ordinance for holding local government elections in Islamabad,” Aslam said. He said JI would field not only party workers but also those who are out of the party’s fold. The tickets, he said, would be awarded after the law is passed.
According to a revised schedule issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), the delimitation process would be completed by June 15. The schedule submitted with the Supreme Court of Pakistan by the ECP says the elections will be held in Islamabad on July 27.
The bill was tabled before the standing committee on May 28. The committee will present its report to the Senate for the final vote on June 11.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 1st, 2015.