LAHORE - The Lahore High Court chief justice on Friday issued a notice to the Punjab government on two more petitions challenging Punjab Local Government Law 2013.

The court has already issued notices to the government on identical petitions filed by PPP, PTI and some citizens. The first petition, moved by an office bearer of PTI, Sobia Kamal, was fixed for hearing, but she withdrew the petition as she knew that her party had already challenged the law.

However, the petition of Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen, a second petitioner, was fixed for hearing and the chief justice issued a notice to the government, which was received by Acting Punjab Advocate General Mustafa Ramday.

The principal law officer told the court that the Punjab chief minister was abroad and he would be able to submit reply after taking instructions from him on his arrival. The petitioner submitted the PML-N Punjab government wanted to establish a dictatorial rule in the province through the newly passed Local Government Law.

He said the new law envisaged non-party local government polls, which was a clear violation of the Constitution. He said holding the local government elections on non-party basis was also against democratic norms.

He said if non-party elections were held, the law and order situation in the province would worsen further. The petitioner contended this would promote horse trading and ruin the democratic process in the country. 

He prayed to the court to declare the Punjab Local Government Act 2013 illegal and unconstitutional, directing the government to hold local bodies’ elections on party basis.

Src:Calgary Indians Correspondent.