ECP notification of Islamabad LG Polls challenged in IHC

ISLAMABAD: The ECP notification for the local government polls in the Islamabad capital territory has been challenged in Islamabad High Court on Tuesday, ARY News reported.

Adil Aziz Qazi Advocate has submitted a petition against the notification of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on behalf of the Pakistan Muslime League-Nawaz and the People’s Party.

The Interior Secretary, Secretary to the PM and the ECP have been made respondents in the petition.

The federal government has notified to enhance the number of union councils on May 21, from 50 to 101, according to the petition.

According to the petition, the number of the union councils in Islamabad has been increased in proportion to one UC for 20,000 persons. “The election commission has announced election schedule without announcing the number of UCs.”

“The ECP is bound to enhance the number of UCs before the local government election,” according to the petition.

Petitioner seeks the court to declare the election commission’s notification as void and restrains the LG election in Islamabad without increase in the number of union councils.

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

The Parliament has not empowered the election commission to fix the number of union council, Justice Athar Minallah earlier 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 you are referring about, is not published in official gazzette,” the court further remarked. “You should take back the petition and come to the court after it notified in gazzette,” chief justice said.

The ECP had announced on June 02 the schedule for local councils polls in the capital territory of Islamabad.

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.