AGP asked to submit schedule for LG polls

While hearing a case relating to local government elections, the Chief Justice asked all the top legal officers and Attorney General for Pakistan to submit a schedule for the local bodies' elections by September 30. Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry asked the incumbent government to adhere to the constitutional command which, he said, was meant for protecting the fundamental right of people of Pakistan.
All the provincial chief secretaries submitted reports pertaining to elections schedule before the CJP-led three member bench.
The bench was told that the Punjab government had suggested that there existed a possibility to conduct local government elections by August 10. The Balochistan and Sindh governments in their reports, however, maintained that voter lists were yet to be prepared further. Besides, law and order situation is also a hurdle towards conducting local government elections.
According to Attorney General for Pakistan, if the elections are held in the country it would be good for the decentralisation process in the country after the passage of 18th Amendment.
The bench was informed that the last local government system of governance was over in 2009. Since then, no elections have taken place.
It is worth mentioning that during the hearing of the case over deteriorating law and order situation of Balochistan at Quetta Registry last week, the Chief Justice issued directives to all the four provincial chief secretaries to submit comprehensive reports on reasons for not holding local bodies' elections.
The bench adjourned the hearing of case till April 30.