LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Monday allowed the Punjab government time for implementation of the Supreme Court order about restoration of local governments in Punjab till July 28.

The court was hearing petitions of Lord Mayor Lahore Col Mubashir Javed (retd) and others. Earlier Chief Secretary Punjab Jawad Rafiq Malik and Secretary LG Noor-ul-Amin Mangal appeared before the court.

The court when asked the chief secretary as to why the government was not restoring the local government in the Punjab, he said the government had constituted four committees for restoration of the local governments and presented their notifications.

The committees will hold their meetings every Friday to review the affairs of the local government. The committees would also prepare the reports about the financial affairs of the local governments which include development funds and income and expenditures of the local governments.

The court giving time to the government direct the chief secretary to present the action plan for the restoration of the local governments till next date of hearing. The petitioners contended in their petitions that the provincial government failed to restore the local governments despite the Supreme Court orders. They said the failure of the government to implement the decision amounted to contempt of court. The petitioners asked the court to initiate contempt proceedings against the provincial government.

During the last hearing, a law officer had challenged the jurisdiction of the court to get the order of the Supreme Court implemented. The court however rejected the plea of the law officer and called the chief secretary and secretary local government.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021