Supreme Court restores local bodies system in Punjab

ISLAMABAD (92 News) – The Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday has restored the local government system in Punjab, by terming the Local Bodies Act 2019 in contradiction with the Constitution of Pakistan.

It is pertinent to mention here that the Punjab Local Government Act 2019 was passed by the provincial legislature in May, 2019.

A three-member bench, headed by Chief Justice (CJP) Gulzar Ahmed, conducted the hearing over the matter pertaining to local government elections. The CJP inquired that why the Punjab government dissolved the local government system.

During the hearing, the additional attorney general of Punjab apprised the court that the Punjab government is ready to hold Local Bodies polls, to ensure devolution of powers to grass-root level.

The matter is currently under discussion in the Council of Common Interest (CCI), he added.

The meeting of the CCI was scheduled to take place on March 24, to discuss the issue, but the meeting was delayed as Prime Minister Imran Khan tested COVID-19 positive. the SC was informed.

Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Gulzar Ahmed asked why the local bodies government was ended in Punjab. The applicant stated before the court the LB government was ended before its due time in December 2021.

The court after hearing arguments from both sides, ordered to restore local bodies government by terming section three of Local Bodies Act in contradiction with the constitution of Pakistan.