The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday asked the Punjab government to legislate on the local bodies within seven days or else it will hold polls based on the previous law.
\nThe orders were issued in a hearing held on the local bodies election in Punjab by a three-member bench headed by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikander Sultan Raja.
\nAt the outset of the hearing, the special secretary of the commission informed the bench that Punjab’s local body governments’ tenure had ended on December 31, 2021.
\nHe added that the ECP had issued the schedule for the new local body elections on April 14 of this year.
\nHowever, the Lahore High Court (LHC) issued stay orders on the schedule. He then added that the Punjab government issued new ordnance for the local bodies in the province.
\n\u201cOrdinance nor its rules were shared with us,\u201d said the special secretary, adding that the ECP had done gerrymandering twice which was costly.
\nThe special secretary asked the bench to take the money for the expenses of the gerrymandering from the Punjab government. He also requested that contempt proceedings be initiated against the provincial government for its attitude.
\nAt this, CEC directed that a report should be made on the estimate of the cost incurred on the gerrymandering.
\nMoving on, the special secretary then informed the bench that in Punjab there was a village and neighbourhood council but not it has been replaced with union councils.
\nOn the other hand, ECP secretary Omar Hamid Khan said that they are yet to get funds to hold local body elections, adding that they had also met the Punjab chief secretary on the matter as well.
\nAt this, the Punjab chief secretary told the bench that the assembly session was ongoing and the ordinance would be passed in it.
\nHe also added that the only problem that is being debated is the matter of electronic voting machines.
\nIn response, the CEC remarked that there have been investigations on EVMs in the world and only two countries Brazil and India are the technology.
\nHe added that Brazil\u2019s representative told the ECP that holding the 2023 elections on EVMs would be a \u201cmiracle\u201d.
\n\u201cAccording to the investigation, if EVMs are rolled out in haste, the election would become suspicious and anarchy would spread,” warned the CEC. He added that it was not possible for the ECP to hold elections with EVMs in a hurry as it may lead to anarchy throughout the country.
\n\u201cPunjab government wants anarchy to spread,\u201d observed the CEC. He added that during local government elections there are a lot of polling stations.
\nHe also asked that the EVMs issue could be a political one but if the election goes wrong then would someone take responsibility for that.
\n\u201cCan we conduct local body elections in Punjab based on the old law?\u201d asked CEC Raja. He added that there was no local government in the province for at least 10 months.
\nThe ECP chief added that no government was interested in holding local elections, adding that the electoral body will now make a decision and no longer consult the Punjab government.
\nCEC Sikander also remarked that ECP will be sending a reference to the Supreme Court today that the provincial government is not implementing its orders.
\n\u201cWrite all the details in the letter to the Supreme Court [and tell] that the Punjab government is not taking local body elections seriously,\u201d said the CEC. He also stated that the Punjab government was violating the Constitution, law and Supreme Court orders.
\n\u201cPunjab government should make local bodies law within seven days or else we will hold local government elections under the previous law,\u201d said Raja during the hearing.
\nHe also warned that if the Pervez Elahi-led Punjab government does not cooperate on the local body elections then ECP will launch contempt proceedings against them.
\nThe hearing of the case was then adjourned till Thursday next week.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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