The Election Commission of Pakistan on Tuesday expressed its displeasure over the “delay tactics” adopted by Lahore in holding local body elections in the province.
This was said by the Chief Election Commissioner Sikander Sultan Raja on Tuesday during the hearing of the petition related to local body elections in Punjab.
Leading a three-member bench, Raja heard the Special Secretary of the Election Commission of Pakistan and the Chief Secretary of Punjab.
Punjab Chief Secretary told ECP that the Punjab government has approved the bill related to local body elections. The governor is expected to sign the bill within ten days.
After that, he said, new delimitation of constituencies would have to be done based on the changed rules. Under the new law, each local government unit has a population of 25,000 people.
On this, the CEC remarked: “Constituency for the third time for local elections in the province is not a joke.”
He asked whether the ECP could conduct LG elections on already demarcated constituencies.
If it was possible, the polling body should announce the dates and schedule of local elections.
“The provincial government is deliberately trying to obstruct the LG elections by introducing Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). Do you really think, this is possible?” he asked.
No government wants to hold municipal elections in Punjab. Raja further said that if the Punjab government wants to hold local body elections based on the new law, the chief secretary of Punjab will have to convince us.
