IHC seeks detailed ECP reply in LG polls case

ISLAMABAD: A division bench of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday sought arguments from lawyers and detailed answers from the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on intra court appeals on the local government (LG) elections in Islamabad.

A two-judge bench comprising Chief Justice of IHC Aamer Farooq and Justice Saman Raffat Imtiaz heard the ICAs against the order of a single-member bench.

At the outset of hearing, Additional Attorney General Munawar Dogal said that Additional Attorney General Aamer Rehman was busy in other cases while the office of the attorney general of Pakistan was vacant. He prayed the court to adjourn the hearing till the next date.

Chief Justice Aamer Farooq expressed annoyance over the response and said that the court could adjourn the case till 2031, if they wanted. The ECP had also filed an ICA against the decision of the single-member bench, he said.

The chief justice remarked that a legislative bill couldn’t be considered as act until it was approved by the parliament. Whether the ECP had asked the government why the union councils had been increased from 101 to 125, he asked.

The chief justice remarked how the population had increased suddenly. Should the court wait for the approval of the bill from the house, he asked. The court instructed the ECP to also submit a detailed answer into the matter and sought arguments from lawyers on the next hearing.

It may be mentioned here that the single-member bench had ordered to conduct local government elections in Islamabad on December 31. However, the decision had been challenged before the division bench.