Local bodies' restoration: SC to take up contempt pleas against Punjab govt

ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court of Pakistan has fixed a hearing for contempt of court pleas against the Punjab government over the latter’s refusal to restore the local bodies system in the province, ARY NEWS reported on Sarturday.

A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (SC) Justice Gulzar Ahmed would lead the proceedings on October 15.

Two petitioners Asad Ali Khan and Sardar Naseem have filed content of court petitions against the Punjab government over their refusal to implement apex court order regarding restoration of the local bodies system in the province.

The registrar’s office has issued notices to all concerned parties in this regard.

the Supreme Court (SC) on May 25 restored the local government system in Punjab, 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.

In May, however, the Punjab government filed a review petition in the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SC) against the restoration of the local bodies system.

The chief secretary Punjab has filed a review petition with the Supreme Court, asking the apex court to reconsider its March 25 decision to restore the local bodies system in the province on the basis of previous delimitations.

The government took a plea that the delimitation under which 2013 polls were carried out have been abolished and restoring the local governments for few months will cause a loss of billions to the national exchequer.

“We have carried out new delimitation,” the chief secretary apprised the court in a plea from the Punjab government and asked the court to annul its March 25 decision.