PHC orders LG polls on party-basis in KP

PESHAWAR: While partially accepting the writ petitions filed by different opposition party leaders, the Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Tuesday ordered the government and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to hold the polls for village and neighbourhood councils in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on party-basis.

The ECP in a statement after the order said the verdict was not going to affect the schedule announced for the polls. It added the commission was not in favour of delaying or postponing the elections.

The decision was made by the PHC on the writ petitions filed by former chief minister and leader of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl Akram Khan Durrani, Khushdil Khan Advocate , a member of the KP Assembly from Awami National Party, Himayatullah Mayar of ANP and Mushtaq Ahmad of Jamaat-e-Islami.

“The provincial government and the Election Commission are directed to issue instructions to returning officers to accept the nomination papers from candidates for village and neighbourhood councils on party-basis with effect from November 4 as per schedule announced by the ECP on October 25,” said the verdict of the PHC.

The petitioners had moved the PHC against the decision of the government and ECP of holding the village and neighbourhood councils elections in the coming LG polls on non-party basis. The ECP has already announced the schedule for the LG elections in KP that are to be held in half of the province on December 19.

The LG polls in the remaining districts will be held in January. The process of collection of nomination papers has begun since November 1 while the candidates have also kicked off election campaigns by holding corner meetings and consultations with elders.

The polls were due for long after the LG governments had completed their tenure long ago. This will be for the first time that proper LG polls will be held in the erstwhile Fata, which is now part of KP.

Soon after the verdict, there were some rumours that the ECP may file an appeal against the verdict. However, the officials of the ECP dismissed the rumours, saying the verdict would not affect the schedule for the polls. ECP Director Elections Khushalzada told reporters that the ECP was not in favour of delaying the polls.