Change of UCs in Islamabad: PTI files contempt plea against govt

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Ali Nawaz Awan on Wednesday filed a contempt of court petition against the federal government at the Islamabad High Court regarding the increase in union councils of the federal capital.

The petition states that the high court has already given a verdict on the issue of union councils. It added that the court has stopped an increase in the number of union councils. The government has committed contempt of court by increasing the number of union councils, read the petition.

Awan, in his petition, also requested contempt of court action against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and others.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader Shehzad Aurangzeb has also filed a plea, seeking to stop the local government elections in Islamabad that are scheduled to take place on December 31.The petition stated that the federal government has increased the number of union councils from 101 to 125. “The Election Commission of Pakistan should be refrained from conducting elections based on the old voters list,” stated the petition.

The electoral body’s notification was restricted to only 101 UCs, said the petition, adding that these 101 unions do not exist. It further said that the government has also proposed amendments to the Local Government Act.

A day earlier, the federal government approved a summary to increase the number of union councils of the federal capital from existing 101 to 125. The summary stated that the Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad administrator — deputy commissioner — has said that the present number of union councils is 101 as fixed on the basis of 2017 census. However, the population of Islamabad increased to 205 million in the last five years and, therefore, it is appropriate that the number of UCs may be enhanced to 125.

It stated that Section 4 (1) and 6 (1) of the Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government Act, 2015 authorises the federal government to determine the number of union councils within Islamabad through notification published in the official gazette.

The move comes only a few days before the upcoming local bodies polls in Islamabad.

The Election Commission of Pakistan has already made it clear the local bodies polls for Islamabad would be held on December 31.

At present, the office of the Returning Officer of Islamabad is in process of training polling staff and deputing them at different polling stations.