The Lahore High Court (LHC) would take up two petitions challenging the 'Commissionerate System' established in the province through an amendment in Punjab Land Revenue Ordinance, 2008 on May 25. The Attorney General Pakistan and Advocate General Punjab would assist the court on the matter.
The petitions were filed by Punjab opposition leader and the Secretary, PML-Q-Punjab, Chaudhry Zaheeruddin and 18 District Nazims of the province. The Nazims included Major Tahir Sadiq, District Nazim, Attock, Javed Ikhlas, District Nazim, Rawalpindi, Chaudhry Shafaat, District Nazim, Gujarat, Abdul Rehman Kanju, District Nazim, Lodhran, Tariq Bashir Cheema, District Nazim, Bahawalpur, Sardar Ghulam Abbas, District Nazim, Chakwal, Chaudhry Farrukh Altaf, District Nazim, Jhelum, Faisal Mukhtar, District Nazim, Multan.
Petitioners, through their counsel, Fawad Chaudhry submitted that the amendment and the subsequent notification in this regard were a violation of the Constitution and indirectly implied and repealed Punjab Local Government Ordinance, 2001. The counsel said that under section 17(2) of Punjab Local Government Ordinance, 2001, petitioner nazims are bound to ensure efficient functioning and development of their District Governments.
He contended that District Co-ordination Officers (DCOs), who are responsible for assisting the administration under elected representatives as per law, were made to act against the interest of the District Government. They are being instructed to create hurdles in smooth functioning of the District Government and frustrate the development schemes initiated by it. Counsel prayed to the court to declare the amendment and the notification as illegal and a violation of the constitution.