News
Hold LG polls before mid-Nov, SC to govts
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC), in its detailed verdict, on Tuesday ordered that all the provincial governments should hold the local government (LG) elections before November 15 this year.
In its detailed decision in the case of delimitation of Sindh, which was written by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Tassaduq Hussain Jillani, the court instructed the Sindh government to make necessary corresponding amendments to the Sindh Local Government Act, 2013.
The court directed the provincial governments to make necessary amendments to the laws pertaining to the LG polls.
Moreover, the verdict stated the federal government should make necessary enactments to empower the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to carry out the delimitation of constituencies for the local governments.
In the light of the verdict, the old delimitations in Balochistan would not be affected. The court, however, rejected the plea of the Sindh government regarding the LG polls.
According to the detailed judgment, the court directed that “as the holding of election of local government has been delayed for more than nine years, which is violative of the constitutional command, we (the justices) are persuaded to direct the governments, federal and provincial (of Sindh), to carry out appropriate amendments, legislation to empower the ECP to initiate and carry out the process of delimitation of constituencies for local government elections”.
The court said that “this exercise should be completed within a period of five months from today (Tuesday) and the ECP shall, thereafter, take requisite measures to carry out the process of delimitation of constituencies for the local government expeditiously so as to complete the same within a period of 45 days of the enactment and amendments in laws in terms of this order. The ECP shall further ensure that the announcement of election schedule and the process of holding it is complete by or before November 15 this year”.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk