PHC stays local govt elections in KP

PESHAWAR: Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Wednesday stayed the upcoming local government elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa till the next order.

A division bench comprising Justice Ikramullah Khan and Justice Sahibzada Asadullah issued the stay order, directing the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government through secretary local government and Election Commission of Pakistan to submit comments before the next hearing. The court issued the stay order in a writ petition filed by Masoodur Rehman, a resident of Haripur district, through his lawyer Sajadur Rehman. During hearing, the lawyer contended that a few days ago, the local governments have been dissolved after completion of its four years tenure.

The lawyer pointed out that under the Election Act 2017, the Election Commission of Pakistan is bound to conduct new local bodies’ elections within 120 days across the province. Recently, he said, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government had brought amendments to the Local Government Act 2013. He pointed out that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly through KP LG (Amendment) Act, 2019 has brought drastic changes to the LG Act 2013. Through the amendment, he explained, the provincial government abolished the district tier of the LG system.