A three-member Supreme Court bench on Thursday ordered the Election Commission of Pakistan to hold local government (LG) elections in cantonment areas after May 5, 2013. The bench of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Gulzar Ahmed and Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed was hearing a pending petition filed by Rab Nawaz, a resident of Quetta, seeking holding of LG elections in the cantonment areas across the country. Disposing of the petition, the court ruled that the federal government would not further delay holding LG elections in cantonments. The court also directed the Election Commission to complete the process of new delimitations and electoral rolls until May 5, 2013. The court held that the date of LG polls would not be extended any further. During the hearing, the CJ observed that the constitution encouraged the system of LG elections in the governance of the country and existence of solid reasons was must for postponing the elections. He said citizens had a constitutional right to elect their representatives. The CJ observed that under Article 148, holding elections was the duty of the Election Commission of Pakistan. On the last hearing, Defence Ministry Director (Legal) Commander Shahbaz Hussain had informed the court that a summary seeking approval of the prime minister for conduct LG polls in cantonment areas had already been moved.
