Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Iftikhar Muhammed Chaudhry on Thursday said the elections of local bodies are a constitutional requirement, adding that the court is underscoring the need to hold local governments elections; but, no one cares about it, a private TV channel reported.
Heading a three-member bench of the Supreme Court (SC) hearing a case on electoral reforms filed by the Workers Party Pakistan President Abid Hasan Minto, he said it is beyond understanding why political parties are not legislating for making it obligatory on everybody to cast vote in the elections.
Minto’s petition also seeks to curtail the volume of overall money spent by political parties on election campaigns.
No one, including the opposition, realizes the issue of Balochistan, the chief justice noted, adding that the Karachiites are dying every day despite judicial ruling about the issue.
The CJ said people want to see the performance of political parties in this connection.
The counsel of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Rafiq Rajwana told the court that the PML-N will attempt legislation to the effect.
Justice Khilji Arif Hussain remarked the prayers are not be offered by merely doing wazu (ablution) and niyat (intention); instead, one has to stand up to offer the prayers.
The CJ also remarked that the court declared Jamshed Dasti ineligible; but, he was re-elected.
