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ISLAMABAD: The government called an emergency session of the National Assembly on Thursday (today) to pass the Islamabad Local Government Reform Bill, which seeks to increase the number of union councils and direct election to the post of mayor.
The assembly was announced by President Dr. Arif Alvi at a time when political parties are already busy campaigning for the December 31 local government elections.
In this regard, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate and senior member of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) filed separate petitions in the Islamabad High Court (IHC). It wants to delay the polls and file a contempt case against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his “cabinet” for allegedly delaying the election by changing the law.
The National Assembly Secretariat on Wednesday released a 10-issue agenda, including the Islamabad Metropolitan Local Government (Amendment) Bill, 2022, named after Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan.
PML-N candidate wants polls postponed; The PTI leader filed a petition against the Prime Minister for ignoring changes in the law
Also, the minister will present the proposal to suspend the order of the session of the assembly without transferring it to the relevant committee, and approve it within the same day according to the order of the Parliament.
After the bill is approved by the lower house of parliament, it must also be approved by the Senate before receiving the ceremonial assent of the president.
It is recalled that the National Assembly was adjourned by the president on Tuesday after similar approval and suspension of the Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Bill.
The Home Ministry issued a letter to increase the number of seats from 101 to 125 after the Union government had already approved the amendments to the law in a circular dated December 19.
Moreover, the federal government has approved a summary bill for the direct election of the mayor of Islamabad, and the necessary amendments are being tabled in the National Assembly.
Despite these developments, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) refused to postpone the LG elections and promised to hold them as per the already announced schedule.
The PML-N and PTI have referred the matter to the ICC, so the fate of the LG election depends on the court’s verdict.
In the petition, Tharline Union Council PML-N candidate Shahzad Aurangzeb defended the government’s decision to increase the number of UCs.
The petition alleged that the Islamabad district was ruled without a local government consisting of elected representatives of the people until the 18th Amendment to the Constitution was passed on 19 April 2010.
Sections 5 and 6 of the Islamabad Metropolitan Local Government Act, 2015 (ICT) empower the federal government to declare any area as a union council, divide the existing area of one union council into two and notify the number thereof. . Union council members in Islamabad, the federal government recently increased the number of union councils to 125.
The petitioner mentioned that there are distortions in the list of voters in different regions and said, “In such a situation, no election can be declared a free and fair election.”
101 A request was submitted to the court to annul the decision of the EEC on the holding of the capital election voting.
On the other hand, PTI leader Ali Nawaz Awan, in his petition, announced the schedule of 101 local government elections to be held on December 31 as per EC Supreme Court order.
“Nevertheless, the federal government has done exactly what it was intended to do in an attempt to disrupt the process in the highest degree of dishonesty,” the petition said, adding that the federal government’s move to increase the number of UCs “is a clear attempt to disrupt the conduct and organization of elections.” “It is a clear violation of the court’s decision.”
According to the petition, the federal government was “well aware” of the court’s directive, but “However, the act of re-increasing the number of UCs just 11 days before the elections… the court.”
The petition alleged that this was a deliberate attempt to overturn the ICC’s decision.
Subsequently, the court was asked to file a contempt case against the Prime Minister and all members of the House of Commons.
Posted on December 22, 2022 at dawn
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