ISLAMABAD: Islamabad High Court today rejected and annulled the Islamabad Local Government Ordinance 2021, introduced by the federal government.
While hearing the case today, Justice Mohsin Akhter Kiyani ruled that local government elections in the capital won’t be held under the presidential ordinance.
Under the law, the local government elections are proposed to be held this year in May.
After the Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad was dissolved last year, the PTI government promulgation the presidential ordinance to hold new LG polls. In the previous elections, PML-N won.
However, in 2021, Sardar Mehtab filed a petition against the new law stating that it was a time-barred legislation, which will have serious consequence for all the provinces. He contended that the such a legislation should have had first been discussed in the Parliament as it has implications on the country’s assets, finances, and job prospects.
Mehtab added that the ordinance, which also says that mayor will be elected via direct elections and the deputy mayor’s post will be removed, was against the Constitution.
Adil Uzair Qazi, the petitioner’s counsel, told media persons that the IJC Judge has directed the Election Commission of Pakistan to hold the local government elections in Islamabad under the 2015 Act.
“He has ruled that the ordinance can’t be seen as a permanent law,” Qazi said, adding that all the measures under it have been declared null and void.
