Secretary Information Pakistan People's Party, Qamar Zaman Kaira, said the decision of the Lahore High Court to hold Punjab local bodies elections on party basis vindicated the stand of his Party that challenged Punjab Local Government Act 2013, being against the article 140(A) of the Constitution of Pakistan.
He said it may be recalled that the Party challenged the Punjab Local Government Law 2013 in the High Court on the ground that its application would deny the exercise of political, financial and executive powers at the local levels by the elected representatives with political identity. Secretary-General PPP Latif Khosa filed the petition and pleaded the case against the Local Government law 2013, of Punjab Government.
He said Benazir Bhutto also challenged in 1988 the elections on non-party basis introduced by dictator Zia-ul-Haq meant to perpetuate his rule but the Supreme Court rejected it by adjudicating that the political parties are the essence of the democratic process which is the spirit of the Constitution. He said the reintroduction of the non-party basis election by the present PML (N) government and its leaders tantamount to proving them as the ideologues of the usurper. He said the insistence of Punjab government to hold elections on non-party basis clearly reflected its well-founded apprehensions of erosion of their political support base during the last months due to the unprecedented price hike and worsening law and order situation in the country.
He expressed his surprise over the PML(N)leadership's oblivion of the Charter of Democracy also signed in May 2006 that unequivocally stipulated that elections at all tiers would be held on Party basis. He observed that their preference for the non-party elections was fuelled by the PML (N) leaders' disposition of concentration of power without realising that absolute power corrupts absolutely. Kaira mentioned that the retaining of four Ministries by the Prime Minister adding nothing move in Punjab Government without the nod of Shahbaz Sharif and Hamza Shahbaz Sharif spoke volumes of their questionable commitment to democratic ethos and the dividends of collective wisdom including participatory democracy.