PAT challenges amended Local Bodies Ordinance in LHC

Terming the Amended Ordinance for show of hand in the elections of Mayer and chairmen as being in violation of Article 256 of the Constitution, PAT has challenged the said Ordinance in the Lahore High Court. Senior PAT leaders, Ishtiaq Chaudhry Advocate and Noorullah Saddiqi have moved the writ petition in this regard.

Talking about the writ, Ishtiaq Chaduhry Advocate said that following local government elections, the amendment in the Local Bodies Ordinance at the stage of Mayors’ and Chairmen’s elections is based on ill-intention. He said that it has allowed the purchase and sale of loyalties of the elected representatives to go through the roof, adding that the mandate given by the people is being insulted in this manner.

The PAT leaders have maintained that in the light of Articles 141 and 142, the power to legislate rests with the assemblies. They said that issuance of amended Ordinance on the important public matters in the presence of legislatures is an act, which could best be described as being based on ill-will. They said that according to the results announced by Election Commission and the national media, a large number of people won the elections as independents who the government considers as threats in the game of political deal making.

The PAT leaders said that the Punjab Government has kick-started the process of buying the loyalties of the elected representatives by using the provincial exchequer and influence. They said that the Constitution, laws, and political and democratic morality are being torn into shreds in an effort to get one’s favorite people elected as mayors, chairmen and vice chairmen.

PAT provincial presidents, Basharat Jaspal, Muhammad Mushtaq and Fayyaz Warriach said that the PAT is playing its legal and constitutional role for establishment of real democracy and plugging the ways of rigging. They said that it was responsibility of the Election Commission to challenge the said amended Ordinance issued by the Punjab Government and presided over the last stage of local bodies elections in accordance with the rules and regulations, adding that it is with great regret that one can say that the Election Commission played the role of a silent spectator like before.

They demanded that elections of the mayors and chairmen should be governed by the Local Government Act 2013 and the amended Ordinance should be declared as null and void.