Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja on Monday said he could even summon the prime minister in case local bodies’ (LB) elections were not held in Islamabad. A five-member bench of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) heard the case of delay in holding LB polls in Punjab.  “Elections should be held as soon as possible. The election commission cannot shut its eyes,” he said categorically. 

Briefing the bench on the occasion, Secretary ECP Umar Hameed said that LB polls were held in Punjab after a delay of three years. “Local governments in the province had completed their term on December 31, 2021,” he said, adding, “Since 2019, five times changes were introduced in the laws governing local governments in Punjab.” The secretary further said that now it was for the sixth time that the laws were going to be changed.  He went on to say that the ECP had heard the case of local bodies in Punjab in February.  

The CEC said he had himself appeared in the Supreme Court (SC) in connection with the case. “This cannot happen that the provincial government does not do legislation and elections are not held for five years.”Punjab minister for Local Bodies, on the occasion, told the bench that presently, legislation was under the consideration of a standing committee for holding local government elections in the province. “And we are trying to complete the legislation as early as possible.” The minister said he could share with the election commission the draft of the bill on LB polls sent to the Punjab Assembly.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)