The Supreme Court has ordered the federal and provincial government to hold local bodies polls with immediate effect under Article 140-A.
While hearing the case relating to LB elections in the provinces, the chief justice directed all provinces to give a date for the holding local body elections to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in consonance with the Article 140-A of the constitution of Pakistan.
During the course of the hearing, the Centre and province told the court about the progress made in holding of LB polls.
ECP DG Sher Afghan said no request was received from any of the provinces relating to the holding of local body elections.
Balochistan has carried out the demarcations on the basis of old census on which elections could not be held, he said.
Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry remarked that it seemed the provinces did not want to hold local body elections.
He warned that if the constitution was not abided, then the governments should get ready to face the result. “Various tactics are being adopted for not holding local body elections,” CJ observed.
Justice Gulzar Ahmad observed that surprisingly, the law also went away with the local bodies.
The Sindh advocate general stated that the demarcations would be completed on November 4, adding that “we are very much near the LB lections and cannot even think of not holding the LB elections in the province”.
The Punjab advocate general said the demarcations across the province had been completed.
The Supreme Court in its order said if Article 140-A was not implemented, the court would pass its order over non-implementation of the constitution and ordered the federal and provincial government to hold LB polls immediately.
Later, the hearing of the case was adjourned until October 7.
