Justice Kayani decries govt’s refusal to conduct Islamabad LG elections

ISLAMABAD: Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani of the Islamabad High Court on Wednesday expressed serious concern over the government’s failure to hold local government elections in the federal capital despite multiple court rulings, ARY News reported.

During a hearing in a case related to the Capital Development Authority (CDA), Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani remarked that under the law, all powers were to be transferred from the CDA to the Metropolitan Corporation. He noted that the functions currently being carried out by the CDA Board were in fact the responsibility of the local government.

“Every single rupee of expenditure is the authority of the local government. The Constitution says that elected representatives of the people will exercise their powers,” Justice Kayani said. He recalled that the Islamabad High Court had issued four decisions and the Supreme Court one decision in this regard, yet the government had not allowed local body elections to take place.

The judge questioned whether there was any institution left in Pakistan capable of handling its responsibilities. “Show me one institution, including the judiciary, that is doing the job it is meant to do. Have you seen the state of the subordinate courts?” he asked.

Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani added that governance had collapsed, with no institution performing its role effectively, and lamented that there was little concern for how 250 million citizens were living. “The very spirit of governance is gone. The work that was meant to be done by elected representatives is being done by the courts,” Justice Kayani observed.

He criticised the selective application of the law, saying that when it suited someone, they insisted the system should continue, but when the law did not suit them, it was set aside. “For the past five years, local government elections have not been allowed because it does not suit certain people,” he said.

Justice Kayani further asked whether the people of Islamabad did not have the right to be represented by their elected local leaders. Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani pointed out that the same hardships faced by ordinary citizens were also being experienced by judges.

Calling the current situation deeply unfortunate, Justice Kayani stressed that every institution must fulfil its responsibilities. “Mistakes can happen, but there should not be mala fide intent,” he remarked, adding that what was happening in the country today was so troubling that one could only pray for betterment.

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