Islamabad (HRNW) The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday asked the Punjab government to legislate on the local bodies within seven days or else it will hold polls based on the previous law.
The orders were issued in a hearing held on the local bodies election in Punjab by a three-member bench headed by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikander Sultan Raja.
At the outset of the hearing, the special secretary of the commission informed the bench that Punjab’s local body governments’ tenure had ended on December 31, 2021.
He added that the ECP had issued the schedule for the new local body elections on April 14 of this year.
However, the Lahore High Court (LHC) issued stay orders on the schedule. He then added that the Punjab government issued new ordnance for the local bodies in the province.
“Ordinance nor its rules were shared with us,” said the special secretary, adding that the ECP had done gerrymandering twice which was costly.
The special secretary asked the bench to take the money for the expenses of the gerrymandering from the Punjab government. He also requested that contempt proceedings be initiated against the provincial government for its attitude.
At this, CEC directed that a report should be made on the estimate of the cost incurred on the gerrymandering.
Moving on, the special secretary then informed the bench that in Punjab there was a village and neighbourhood council but not it has been replaced with union councils.
On the other hand, ECP secretary Omar Hamid Khan said that they are yet to get funds to hold local body elections, adding that they had also met the Punjab chief secretary on the matter as well.
At this, the Punjab chief secretary told the bench that the assembly session was ongoing and the ordinance would be passed in it.