Islamabad: Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday approving PML-N and PPP petitions regarding postponement of local bodies elections in Islamabad, has ordered the Election Commission Of Pakistan (ECP) to issue schedule of the local bodies election under the new delimitations.
Chief Justice Athar Minallah of IHC heard filed petitions of PML-N and PPP for cancelling local body elections in Islamabad.
Petitioner from PML-N, Tariq Fazal Chaudhry’s counsel Adil Aziz contended that the ECP issued schedule of the local bodies elections on the basis of 2015 delimitations whereas the population of Islamabad has reached 2 million from 8,000,00.
The petitioner insisted that the court order the ECP to increase numbers of union councils and ensure the local bodies election on the basis of the new delimitations.
Before this, the ECP had given statement in the court that we will hold new delimitations first and then issue schedule of the local bodies election.
On the other hand, the ECP insisted the court that the governments create hurdles in the holding of local bodies elections, hence, the court order the federal government to fulfill its constitutional responsibility of holding of the local bodies elections.
The court approving the petitions of the PML-N and PPP for cancelling the elections instructed the ECP to conduct delimitations within 65 days and later issue schedule of the local bodies elections in Islamabad.