LG polls: Supreme Court annoyed by government's failure

Supreme Court of Pakistan on Monday gave federal and all provincial governments one week to submit reports about steps taken towards holding local government elections. A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Pakistan (CJP) Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry adjourning the hearing to October 21 and directed the respondent governments to submit reports about steps being taken for the enforcement of Article 140-A of the Constitution and directions of the court for holding of local government elections.
Earlier, a deputy attorney general and law officers of the provinces requested the court to give two weeks to submit their replies; however, the bench gave them one week and also directed them to come up with their clear replies by October 21. The ECP Secretary insisted for more time due to Eidul Azha holidays, the bench, however, asked him to work during holidays as the Constitution was being violated in the instant case.
The bench including Justice Jawwad S. Khwaja and Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed will conduct the next hearing at Islamabad. During the course of hearing, judges expressed serious dismay over the failure of the governments to come up with a clear reply about local bodies polls. The CJP remarked that the governments had hoodwinked the nation on the issue of local government polls. He also expressed displeasure over the role of the ECP, saying the commission should have written letters to the provincial governments every week to hold polls.
"We want the governments to fulfil their constitutional obligations, otherwise, they will be in trouble," CJP observed. Justice Jawwad S Khwaja observed that the governments might think that there was any benefit of judges in holding the local bodies polls. "The thing we want is implementation of the Constitution only," he added.
Justice Khwaja lamented that the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had promised to conduct the local bodies polls within 90 days but failed. He said political parties were violating their manifestos and wanted the courts to do their job. Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed observed, it appeared that the provincial governments were reluctant to transfer powers to local administration. Earlier, ECP secretary Ishtiaq Ahmad told to the court that legislation and delimitation were the job of the provinces. He said the commission had not received any request to hold polls from any province.