- With Senate’s nod pending for LG polls bill, SC ponders over the legal cover required for ‘much needed’ polls, shows concern over the speed of legislation
The Supreme Court on Monday sought progress report on legislation in respect of the Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government Bill, 2015 within 24 hours.
As the SC bench took up the case for hearing, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) counsel told the court that the commission was holding the LG polls in Islamabad in the light of a draft bill tabled in National Assembly, which is pending before a review committee of the Senate for final approval.
The counsel said that the ECP was facing difficulties in holding the polls in the absence of a proper law. He said that ballot papers were about to be printed and the law makers should be directed to speed up the legislation.
The counsel told the court that bill has been approved, however there were certain mistakes in it; the age of candidates has not been determined correctly.
SC’s Justice Jawwad S Khawaja remarked, “Should the court construct a law that the constitution should be set aside if there is a hitch in any matter? Have the citizens of Islamabad no right to elect their representatives? Constitutional mandate should be completed. It is incomprehensible that the LG polls were not held in 50 years. If the polls have been held in Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, why not here?”
However, Justice Khawaja asked as to why the bill has not been approved after a lapse of three months. Under which law the ECP will be holding the LG polls, he inquired.
Deputy Attorney General (DAG) Amir Rehman said that the National Assembly approved the bill on March 26 and it was pending with a senate sanding committee.
ECP Additional Director General Muhammad Arshad told the court that the ECP was going to conduct polls under the approved draft bill of the National Assembly. “We are facing numerous difficulties in this respect and we have contacted the Interior Ministry. If the bill is approved by the Senate Standing Committee, elections will be conducted on a party basis,” Arshad told the court.
The DAG, however, told the court that it was almost impossible that the bill will be approved before Eid.
Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed remarked, “If the LG polls take place on party basis, what is the problem in it? These elections don’t seem to be taking place if there is no possibility of the bill going to be approved before Eid.”
The court put off the hearing of the case till Tuesday (today).
