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SC asks Punjab to provide LG polls time frame by 19th
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court has asked the government Punjab to provide the time frame for the local government elections by March 19.
The court asked the Punjab governments to make appropriate amendments in the Punjab Local Government Act with reference to delimitations of constituencies. Chief Justice of Pakistan Tassaduq Hussain Jillani said, “We want implementation of law to ensure rights are given to the people. The governments of Punjab and Sindh don’t want to conduct LB polls, therefore, they are set to seek maximum time.”
The court said of the government of Punjab is willing then it should let the Election Commission (EC) carry out delimitation and give time frame for holding LB elections. If EC can carry out delimitation of constituencies for the National Assembly (NA) then why can it not conduct LB polls, it remarked. “Devolving powers at grass root level is more difficult than conducing LB polls and doing this is not acceptable to considerable extent to the incumbent governments,” said Justice Khilji Arif Hussain.
Sardar Latif Khosa, who represents PPP general secretary, neither appeared nor filed any reply on behalf of his party during the course of hearing. A three-member bench of the Supreme Court headed by the CJP Tassaduq Hussain Jillani resumed the hearing of the case on Thursday. Advocate Akram Sheikh said delimitation of constituencies is the domain of EC under Article 222. The 18th Amendment is silent over it, he said, adding the local government can also be brought in this ambit. Justice Khilji Arif Hussain said, “You want to say that legislating is domain of Majlis-e-Shoora. CJP remarked, “Vacuum has come in government of Punjab. There is no clause of delimitation. Can EC fill this vacuum on its own?”
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk