Challenge to Islamabad LG Polls in IHC dismissed

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court on Tuesday dismissed a petition challenging the ECP notification for the local government polls in the Islamabad capital territory, ARY News reported.

A bench comprised of Chief Justice Athar Minallah dismissed the petition after petitioner taken back it.

Adil Aziz Advocate told the court that in January the number of union councils notified to fix at 100. “The ECP can be summoned to be questioned about it,” he further said.

The Parliament has not empowered the election commission to fix the number of union council, Justice Athar Minallah said. “The election commission will initiate delimitation after the federal government fixes the number,” the court remarked. “It is upto the government to fix the number of union councils and to notify it,” the bench said.

“The notification your are referring, is not published in official gazzette,” the court further remarked. “The petitioner is now part of the government, he could not get issuance of a notification,” the bench exclaimed.

“You should take back the petition and come to the court after it notified in gazzette,” chief justice said.

“The election commission has said that despite the cabinet decision it will not enforce it,” PML-N’s Tariq Fazal Chaudhry told the court. “The court is pleaded to issue a direction for it,” he further pleaded.

Adil Aziz Qazi Advocate requested the bench to grant some time or allow to take back the petition.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) announced the schedule for local councils polls in the capital territory of Islamabad on June 02.

According to a statement issued by the ECP, the LG polls in Islamabad would be held on July 31, 2022. The date for submission of nominations would be from June 13 to 16.

Earlier in May, the Islamabad High Court had ordered to postpone the LG polls in Islamabad. The federal cabinet had presented its summary to the court pleading that the government has decided to form 101 union councils in the city and that the ECP should be asked to implement it.