SHC requested to order ECP to hold local bodies elections

A petition has been filed with the Sindh High Court (SHC) seeking local bodies elections in the province.

Petitioner Syed Mehmood Akhtar Naqvi filed on Saturday the petition, in which he submitted that the Article 140-A of the constitution makes it incumbent to hold local bodies elections in the provinces.

He submitted that the local bodies in Sindh had completed their four-year tenures in different cities and district, including Karachi, but despite the completion of the tenure, the provincial government and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) were not taking steps to hold the local bodies elections.

He said the notifications to announce the elected representatives of the current local bodies were issued by the ECP on December 3 2015, December 26 2015, and January 1 2016, and according to such notifications, the entire local bodies had completed their tenure and the elected representatives were now illegally holding their offices.

He submitted that the provincial government was delaying the local bodies elections by not issuing a letter in this regard to the ECP.

The petitioner alleged that the Sindh govt was employing delaying tactics as it intended to usurp the local government funds.

The high court was requested to direct the ECP to hold local bodies elections as per its mandate under the constitution.

Absconders

The SHC has directed the Sindh inspector general of police (IGP) to publish a list of all the absconders, involved in crimes, with their names, national identity cards number.

The direction came on a petition regarding the police failure to arrest culprits involved in criminal cases.

The high court directed the IGP to issue such publication in vernacular national newspapers having wide circulation and ensure that such exercise was completed within two months.

The SHC also directed the law department to submit a detailed report on their working with regard to legislation on the specific law on modern devices including DNA, criminal record and forensic law.

The high court observed that in case the law department had not undertaken any proposal or legislation, they shall form a committee comprising representatives of the IGP, prosecutor general office and court amicus curiae.

The SHC observed that the committee shall submit a proposal as well as ensure that a specific law is available enabling the authorities to get benefit of modern devices.