ISLAMABAD – The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government is facing continuous criticism from several quarters as it has failed to conduct local government elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Punjab and Balochistan within the due date.
Despite frequent ECP notices, provinces are yet to share complete details of delimitations, maps and amendments in election legislation etc with the commission.
The commission many times had expressed serious concern over non-provision of the required information relating to the proposed rules including necessary notifications, maps, chronological order of census blocks of religious minorities, and other related documents from all the provinces.
The ECP earlier had directed the provinces to take measures for holding local government elections on time. The commission had also asked the provinces to provide complete documents, rules, newly-formed laws, maps and amendment in laws related to the LG. Earlier this month the Supreme Court senior Judge Justice Qazi Faiz Isa during the hearing of the case pertaining to the implementation of section 39 and 41 of the KP Government Act 2013 regarding the delay in the LG elections has shown his reservations over the failure of the KP government to hold the LG elections on time. Justice Faiz Isa during his remarks threatened the KP government of initiating contempt of court proceeding against the KP government and also issued notice to the ECP, Attorney General of Pakistan and KP advocate general in tis regard.
Despite ECP notices, provinces are yet to share complete details of delimitations, maps, amendments with commission
In his harsh remarks, Justice Faiz Isa told the lawyers of the KP government that there was no need to be afraid of any one; adding that Allah was their protector. The SC also showed its dissatisfactions over the report submitted by the KP government on sections 39 and 41 and ordered for the details of local government’s movable and immovable properties to be uploaded.
Meanwhile former secretary to ECP, Kunwar Dilshad said that the PTI government was not serious to hold LG elections in the provinces. He said that despite frequent notices of the ECP, the government is in no mode to hold LG elections.
Kunwar Dilshad maintained that there were some legal complications which were needed to be addressed otherwise the commission will not be able to hold the LG elections even in next three years. Â
On the other hand a senior official of ECP told The Nation that the commission had completed all its preparations for holding the LG elections but the provinces were yet to submit all the details regarding the delimitation, maps and many other relevant issues.
The official without mentioning his name said that the Chief Election Commissioner has summoned a very important meeting on for having consensus over the LG elections in KP; adding that all the concerned authorities have been summoned for meeting which is going to be held in some days.
It must be noted that KP despite repeated notices of the ECP, failed to hold the LG elections within the due date and now amid the pandemic the KP Assembly through an Ordinance has postponed the LG elections for the next two years
On this move of the KP government the ECP had raised reservations and had termed the decision as a move against the Local Government law and Election Act, 2017. The Commission had directed the KP government to revive its decision of halting the elections.
It is important to mention here that the last tenure of Local governments expired on August 28 of the previous year and according to the section 2019 (4) of the Election Act, 2017 the next elections should be held within 120 days after the expiry of previous setup.
A delegation of Punjab government under the leadership of Provincial Minister Raja Basharat held a meeting with Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja in Islamabad and asked for Local Government elections’ schedule under Punjab Village Punchayat and Neighbourhood Councils’ Act 2019.
He said that CEC had also asked the delegation whether to the elections will be held in a single phase or in several phases; however, the Punjab government is yet to respond to the suggestion of the CEC.
It is important to mention here that the Local Government setup in Punjab was dissolved through legislation on May 3 2019 and the government had decided to hold new elections within the due date; however the Punjab government failed to hold elections within the due date.
On the matter of LG elections in Balochistan the commission was earlier informed that the matter of holding LG elections in Balochistan was pending in Balochistan High Court, however, the Commission has asked the Balochistan government to provide the copy of amended LG rules 2010.Â
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