ISLAMABAD – The Islamabad High Court on Wednesday declared the presidential ordinance for holding local government elections in the federal capital null and void.
Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani issued the verdict against the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Local Government Ordinance 2021, ordering the Election Commission of Pakistan to follow the Local Government Act 2015.
Last year, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government promulgated the presidential ordinance for holding the LG elections in Islamabad after the Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI) completed its five-year tenure in February 2021. The last LG polls held in 2015 and PML-N had emerged victorious.
Under the ordinance, the local government polls were proposed to be conducted in May 2022.
A petitioner argued that the presidential ordinance fell short of requirement described in the Constitutions. He said that the direct election of the mayor and removing deputy mayor post was against the law.
Another petitioner highlighted that the ordinance was a time-barred legislation that could not provide tenure protection to the elected local government.
A petition also slammed the government for imposing the LG ordinance without fulfilling necessary formalities.
It said the ordinance “introduced an altogether new structure of the local government in Islamabad and created multiple tiers within the local government. In doing so, they have provided mechanism for direct election of the mayor of Islamabad, no deputy mayor, created ICT council which would be an unelected nominated body of members to be appointed/nominated by political parties, and neighbourhood councils which had no direct link even with the mayor of Islamabad.”
https://en.dailypakistan.com.pk/17-Feb-2022/punjab-announces-date-for-local-government-elections
