Oct 26(ABC): The Election Commission of Pakistan on Tuesday expressed its displeasure over what it termed were “delaying tactics” being adopted by Lahore in the conduct of local government elections in the province.
This was stated by the Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja on Tuesday while hearing a petition on local government elections in Punjab.
Leading a three-member bench, Raja heard from the special secretary of the Election Commission of Pakistan and the Punjab chief secretary.
Punjab’s chief secretary told the ECP that the Punjab government had approved a bill related to local government elections. The bill is expected to be signed into law by the governor within ten days.
Thereafter, he said, fresh delimitation of constituencies will have to be undertaken based on the changed laws. Under the new law, each local government constituency has been capped at a population division of 25,000 people.
At this, the CEC remarked: “Carrying out delimitation for the third time for local government elections in the province is not a joke.”
He went on to ask if the ECP could conduct LG polls on the previously delimited constituencies.
If it was possible, then the poll body should proceed with announcing the dates and schedule of local government elections.
“The provincial government is deliberately trying to create hurdles by involving electronic voting machines (EVM) in the LG polls. Do you really think, it is possible?” he asked.
“No government wants to conduct local government elections in Punjab. If the Punjab government wants to conduct local government elections on the basis of the new law then the chief secretary of Punjab will have to convince us,” Raja added.
