LAHORE: Justice Shahid Jamil Khan of the Lahore High Court on Monday issued notices to respondents for December 23 in a petition filed by Sialkot district council chairperson Hina Arsha challenging the Punjab Local Government Ordinance 2021.

The court also asked a law officer to appear before it on next hearing assist on the points raised in the petition.

Meanwhile, Justice Shahid Waheed also referred a similar petition by Faisalabad mayor Razzaq Malik to Justice Shahid Jamil Khan who already seized with petitions on the local government law.

Earlier the petitioner’s counsel submitted the impugned ordinance envisaged dissolution of existing local bodies and the use of the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) in the next polls in the province. He said the provincial government with a mala fide intention had been trying to bring a system of local government according to its own whims.

The counsel argued that the use of the EVM without approval of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and deliberations by the political parties was an undemocratic decision of the government. He argued that the ordinance was in violation of various provisions of the Constitution and liable to be set aside.

He also challenged the appointment of administrators after the dissolution of the existing local government system.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021

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