Punjab challenges Supreme Court's restoration of local councils

ISLAMABAD: The Punjab government has challenged the Supreme Court’s restoration of the local councils in the province, ARY News reported on Thursday.

The province has filed a preliminary review petition against the apex court’s March 25 verdict.

The provincial government will file a comprehensive appeal in the top court within few days.

A new local government law has been on the anvil in Punjab, which will empower the local representatives, according to the petition.

The restoration of the 2016 local councils will create problems, the government argued in its petition.

The Supreme Court had restored the local government system in Punjab on March 25, by terming the Local Bodies Act 2019 in contradiction with the Constitution of Pakistan.

The Punjab Local Government Act 2019 was passed by the provincial legislature in May, 2019.

A bench of the Supreme Court headed by CJP Justice Gulzar Ahmed, terming section three of the Local Bodies Act in contradiction of the constitution, ordered to restore the local government system in Punjab.

Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Gulzar Ahmed questioned the rationale behind winding up the local councils in Punjab.

The applicant had pleaded to the court that the local government system was terminated before its due time in December 2021.

The court after hearing arguments from both sides, had ordered to restore local councils by terming section three of the Local Bodies Act in contravention with the constitution of Pakistan.