Why is the govt running away from the LG polls?

“Polls will be held after a new census, whose results will be available by April 2023”

Ahsan Iqbal, PML-N Leader

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) is currently portraying itself as one of the biggest champions of the local bodies’ elections in Pakistan, but Imran Khan and his party should let us know who strangled the local bodies in Punjab. They also fired more than 50,000 local body representatives unconstitutionally.

There is a decision of the Supreme Court that those representatives were dismissed unconstitutionally when the Supreme Court restored the local bodies of Punjab, who played with that decision of the Supreme Court for seven months. It is strange that if we just utter a single word, we receive notices for contempt of court, but Imran Khan and Usman Buzdar, who mocked the decision of the Chief Justice’s bench, were not even asked why they are not following the Supreme Court’s decision. There is no concept of a technocratic form of government in the constitution of Pakistan, and let me recall that it was former premier Imran Khan who decided in the meeting of the Council of Common Interests when he was the prime minister of this country that the elections will be held as per the new census.

The results of the new census will be available by April 2023; after that, the Election Commission will need four months for the delimitation of the constituencies, given the economic and law and order situation of the country at that time. Can we have a “gap” for four months in the form of a caretaker government? No, we cannot do that. We are already going through many hardships as a country. It is both a constitutional requirement and a pressing necessity that the country’s elections, whether general or local body polls, take place following the new census. The Islamabad High Court recently ruled that local body elections in Islamabad could be held with only 24 hours’ notice. The court’s decision is before our eyes. We respect the courts, but it wasn’t possible to deliver goods and provide security in one day. In the future, the court order will be implemented, the federal government has increased the number of union councils to 125, and the new union council has to be divided into constituencies.

The Local Government Elections Act has also been changed. The bill is with the president; it has to be signed within 10 days. The present coalition government is struggling to revive the badly damaged economy after compromising its political stake in national interests. During its tenure, the PTI not only damaged the economy but also neglected the law and order situation as well as the war against terrorism.

The PTI was brought to power in the 2018 elections by giving NRO to Imran Khan through the RTS system, which led to the formation of an illegitimate, inexperienced, and incompetent government. The Imran Khan-led government has pushed the country into the worst possible inflation and debt through currency devaluation and other inappropriate measures.

“Major ruling parties are never serious about local body polls”

Hafiz Naeemur Rehman, JI Leader

The Jamaat-i-Islami’s (JI) stance on local body elections has always been clear. We want to hold elections at the grassroots level so that the common man can be represented from the ground up. However, past experiences have shown that the major ruling parties’ interest in this regard has been minimal.

There were no local bodies during the period of 2009-2015 when the PPP had its government at the federal and provincial levels, during which time the MQM was also their ally until 2013. The Local Bodies Election Act was introduced in 2013, but throughout this period, no local body elections were organised by the ruling party. In fact, we had to make them a reality through court proceedings, countless struggles, and sacrifices, as well as intervention by the Election Commission. Past experiences have also shown that in order to move one step forward, we have had to step back; we have always had to give up one thing to gain another.

We have never had a level playing field because power and money have always been used as tools to further political gains. Parties that are democratic in every sense have had to face barriers everywhere. The JI, being a truly democratic party, has always stood for elections at the local government level and has had to make immense sacrifices in this regard as well. Even during the reign of Ayub Khan, when we were struggling with martial law, we worked with his government to hold local body elections. However, over the years, we have seen a slowing trend as far as local body elections are concerned.

This is mainly the case with every major ruling political party that claims to be democratic. It is apparent that they do not even want to give authority to their own people at the grass-roots level, as they do not essentially want to devolve power. Seeing as past trends have always shown the reluctance of major parties to hold local elections, we can be sure that this is all about delegating power and their unwillingness to do so.

The parties that claim themselves to be democratic essentially want to retain a grip on the centre and not let go.

The issue of voter lists has also been a pertinent one and one that the JI has struggled with as well, especially in 2018, which also hinders any real results. Karachi has always borne the brunt of this, as the elections have been postponed for quite some time. Now that all major stakeholders want to hold elections for local bodies, including the mayor, we see no reason for them to be postponed.

However, we remain hopeful that the PPP will consider our stance and that local body elections will not be postponed this time around.

“The elections are being delayed because the PDM fears a PTI clean sweep”

Shireen Mazari, PTI Leader

The Shehbaz Sharif-led coalition government of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) is running away from all elections because they know what the verdict of the people will be. They are now so fearful of even the word “election” that they’re prepared to destroy even the veneer of democracy that has remained since the US abetted the regime change conspiracy.

The elections are being delayed because PDM fears a PTI clean sweep. Why did the federal government avoid holding local body elections in Islamabad? We are here in the field; come and fight us; the voters, along with the PTI leadership, are waiting for you, as the masses are now aware that only Imran Khan can save Pakistan and its people from the clutches of these corrupt rulers who were imposed through a conspiracy after the elected government of the PTI was sent packing in April last year through a vote of no confidence.

We also want to ask the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) why they were not prepared to conduct local body polls on the due date. How can the Election Commission be justified in saying that they were not ready? The court should discharge the Election Commission. The voters in Islamabad were standing outside the polling station, but the elections had been stopped despite the clear orders of the court. The government is afraid of the vote, the puppet election commissioner is making a mockery of the people and the constitution, and the court is being demanded to implement its decision and initiate contempt of court proceedings. Despite the court’s order, the ECP insulted the court by refusing to allow the local government election in the country’s capital.

The ECP should resign immediately for playing politics in holding the election. If there was any doubt about the ECP’s bias, it has been exposed as the ECP commits contempt of court to appease a cabal of crooks and conspirators by refusing to allow LG elections polling today despite an IHC order. ECP should resign immediately after engaging in political manoeuvring with the holding of elections.

Let me recall that in October, the same ECP decided to postpone local body polls in Karachi, while on the other hand, the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) had written in his letter to the Supreme Court that the Punjab government is not taking local body polls seriously.

Even at that time, I had said that if there was any doubt at all about the bias embedded in the present ECP led by CEC Sikander Sultan Raja, who is now effectively working for the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the imported government, this should remove that doubt. This duality of approach, as stated, has no rationality behind it at all.