ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has repeatedly urged provinces and federal government to play their critical role in holding local government elections but neither any provincial nor federal government has shown any enthusiasm to hold the LG polls and are using delaying tactics in this regard.
Earlier this year, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa suggested to the ECP to hold local government elections this year- Punjab recommended September while KP recommended October.
However, later, both the provinces backtracked citing alarming spread of coronavirus across the country.
Punjab government has filed a review petition against the Supreme Court order dated July 6 to restore local bodies in Punjab.
On August 10, ECP rejected the requests of KP and Balochistan governments for more time in preparation of LG elections and directed the two provincial governments to ensure that LG polls were held this year.
Chief Secretary KP Dr Kazim Niaz told the ECP in a meeting on August 10 that KP government wanted LG polls to be held in March 2022.
He cited security challenges in the ongoing Islamic month of Muharram and weather conditions in northern parts of the country as impediments to holding LG polls in 2021.
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However, ECP rejected this proposal and directed chief secretary KP to place the issue before the provincial cabinet in order to ensure holding the LG polls at the earliest.
Balochistan contends that it has decided to upgrade the union councils after the results of the 2017 population census were notified by the federal government.
Speaking to Business Recorder, provincial government spokesman said Balochistan government needs two to three months for upgradation of UCs and to provide maps and related documents to ECP for delimitation of constituencies for LG polls.
However, he said, the ECP has rejected the provincial government’s request seeking delay in LG polls and directed Balochistan government to ensure that all pending work related to LG polls is completed within a month.
The ECP has warned that if the provincial government failed to comply with its instructions, then the matter would be fixed for regular hearing by the ECP.
On August 23, Sindh government, in a meeting with the ECP, refused to hold LG elections and linked its decision to hold these polls with the redressal of its concerns with the federal government regarding the results of population census 2017; while ECP accused the provincial government of being non-serious in holding the LG polls.
Advisor to the Chief Minister Sindh on Law Barrister Murtaza Wahab told the meeting that the provincial government had serious concerns over the results of population census 2017 notified on May 6 this year following their approval by the Council of Common Interests (CCI). Sindh has filed an appeal with the federal government against these results in the light of the related provisions of the Constitution of Pakistan, the advisor said.
Unless the federal government took a decision on the pending appeal—and addressed the concerns of the province, LG elections in Sindh were not possible, Wahab said.
This did not go down well with the ECP. “First you (Sindh government) were saying that holding LG polls was not possible on provisional census results. Keeping this concern in view, we (ECP) stopped constituencies’ delimitation drive in Sindh. Now that the results of population census have been notified, you are coming up with a new excuse –that you have concerns over the notified census results,” Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja told Wahab.
“An impression is being created—and we are having this feeling— that Sindh government is non-serious in holding LG polls,” the CEC continued.
Two days later, on August 25, ECP decided to take up the issue of LG elections in Sindh for regular hearing from September 7. The case is pending.
The next day, on August 26,ECP formed a committee tasked to review different options including the proposal to assign the provinces the complete responsibility of organising the LG polls if ECP’s reliance on provinces regarding LG elections is not reduced through parliamentary legislation.
The committee is headed by Special Secretary ECP Zafar Iqbal Hussain and comprises of Director General (Law) Muhammad Arshad and other senior officers.
ECP takes firm step towards holding LG polls
Regarding LG polls in Islamabad Capital territory (ICT), Interior Ministry, through a letter, dated May 18, informed the ECP that 50 UCs were set up in the territorial limits of ICT.
Later, the ministry withdrew this letter which stalled the delimitation process in these UCs that had started on June 21.
On August 5, the ECP directed Secretary Interior Yousaf Naseem Khokhar to approach federal government authorities and get parliamentary legislation approved in a month for LG elections in ICT.
That time limit expires today (September 5).
Requesting anonymity, a senior ECP official, said, the LG elections in the provinces and ICT are facing delays as politicians and bureaucrats are opposed to LG institutions.
“Presence of local bodies overshadows the importance of district administrative machinery and lawmakers,” the source said.
“If the LG system, that was promised by Prime Minister Imran Khan, is introduced in letter and spirit, the development funds would go to LG institutions, and Parliament and provincial assemblies would be left with legislation. Key powers of district administration would go to mayors, Nazims or chairmen/chairpersons. That’s something lawmakers and bureaucrats don’t want to happen,” the insider said.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021
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