Punjab govt challenges SC's ruling to restore local councils in province

(Karachi) The Punjab government has challenged the Supreme Court’s decision to restore the local councils in the province, local media reported on Thursday.

As per details, the Punjab government has filed a preliminary review petition against the top court’s March 25 ruling. The provincial government will file a comprehensive appeal in the top court within a few days.

The provincial government, in its petition, stated that a new local government law is being prepared which will empower the local representatives. The restoration of the 2016 local councils will create problems, it said.

On March 25, a three-judge SC bench, headed by Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed, ordered the restoration of local government institutions in the province after declaring their dissolution as unconstitutional.

“For reasons to be recorded later, Section 3 of the Punjab Local Government Act 2019 (PLGA) whereby the local bodies were dissolved is declared ultra vires of the Constitution and the local governments as were existing in Punjab prior to the promulgation of Section 3 stand restored and it shall complete its term in accordance with the law,” ruled Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed.

The top court had taken up a petition moved by Asad Ali Khan through his counsel Mohammad Nawazish Ali Pirzada challenging the dissolution of the local government (LG) institutions with a plea that the elected members were entitled to complete their constitutional term which will expire on December31, 2021.