Govt, ECP challenge IHC’s order to hold LG polls in capital today

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and federal government on Saturday challenged the orders of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to hold local government elections in the federal capital today (December 31).

The electoral body had requested an immediate hearing on an intra-court appeal filed in the high court. However, the IHC registrar’s office raised an objection over the appeal, saying that it lacks the required documents.

Later, the objections were removed by the ECP’s legal team.

Meanwhile, the federal government also challenged the IHC’s order via a separate intra-court appeal.

On Friday, the IHC, while accepting the petitions of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) for nullification of ECP’s decision of LG polls’ deferral, directed the electoral body to hold the elections as per the schedule.

On December 27, the ECP had cancelled the December 31 schedule to hold the local government elections in the federal capital after a change in the union councils of the capital territory.

However, the high court in its one-page short order, asked the federal government to ensure that “it assists the election commission in holding the local government polls”.

“The Ministry of Interior’s December 19 notification has been declared null and void and so is the December 27 notification of the election commission,” the order added.

The election commission had deferred the polls after the federal government increased the number of union councils (UCs) in the capital without taking the former into confidence. Before reserving the verdict, the court had expressed displeasure over the federal government’s attitude.

“We are disappointed in the government [lack of engagement],” the court said.