A Law Officer told the top court that CCI meeting was due on March 24 where the matter was to be discussed but it was delayed as Prime Minister Imran Khan contracted COVID-19. The CJP asked why this system was ended to which he could not give satisfactory answer and on it the top court restored Local Bodies System in Punjab.
ISLAMABAD: (UrduPoint/Pakistan Point News-March-25th, 2021) The Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday restored the local government system in Punjab.
The top court termed the Local Bodies Act 2019 contradictory to the Constitution.
Punjab Assembly passed the Punjab Local Government Act 2019 in May, 2019.
A Supreme Court bench led by CJP Justice Gulzar Ahmed passed the order and termed Section (III) of the Local Bodies Act as contradictory to the Constitution.
As the proceedings commence , a law officer apprised the court that the Punjab government was ready to hold Local Bodies polls, to ensure devolution of powers to grass-root level.
The Law Officer said that the matter was currently under discussion in the Council of Common Interest (CCI).
The top court was also informed that the meeting of the CCI was due on March 24 to discuss the issue but the meeting was delayed as Prime Minister Imran Khan tested COVID-19 positive
“Why the local bodies government was ended in Punjab?,” asked CJP Gulzar. At this, the applicant stated before the court the LB government was ended before its due time in December 2021.
After hearing arguments from both sides, the top court ordered to restore local bodies government by terming section three of Local Bodies Act in contradiction with the constitution of Pakistan.
