PESHAWAR: Rejecting the appeal of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, the Supreme Court of Pakistan on Tuesday ordered the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to hold the Local Government elections on 19 December on party lines.
The Supreme Court heard the KP government’s appeal against the Peshawar High Court’s (PHC) judgment to hold local body elections in KP on party lines. Advocate General KP Shumail Ahmad Butt pleaded that not only elections but true representation is required. he said there is no provision in the law for the order passed by the High Court to hold Local government election on party lines.
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The Advocate general requested that if the court does not want to grant restraining order then it should allow the government to extend election date. Supreme Court rejected KP government’s request for change in election schedule and said that elections were already delayed for more than two years. The Supreme Court upheld the PHC’s judgment and ordered that the local body elections in KP will be held on party bases.
The Election Commission representative informed that it has taken all necessary steps to implement the decision of the Peshawar High Court.
Justice Umar Ata Bandial said that it is necessary to strengthen political parties and democratic system at the grass route level, thus, it is essential to hold the election on party basis. The justice remarked that the political parties cannot be excluded from the political process. Justice Mansoor Ali Shah said that no other political party has challenged the PHC’s judgment which show that the election on party lines will have no harm.
The court adjourned the hearing of the case indefinitely.
It should be noted that the Election Commission has announced the first phase of local government elections in the province on December 19. In the first phase, polling will be held in 17 districts on December 19. The second phase of election in scheduled in March next year.