ISLAMABAD: The Punjab government on Monday filed a review petition in the Supreme Court against the restoration of the local bodies apparatus in the province.
Punjab Chief Secretary Jawad Rafique Malik moved the review petition, requesting the court to reconsider its March 25 decision to restore the system in the province on the basis of previous delimitations.
The official took a plea that the delimitation under which the 2013 elections were held have been abolished and restoring the local governments for few months will cause a loss of billions to the national exchequer.
“We have carried out new delimitation,” Malik apprised the court and asked the court to annul its decision.
The Supreme Court on March 25 restored the local government system in Punjab, by terming the Local Bodies Act, 2019 in contradiction with the Constitution.
The Punjab Local Government Act, 2019 was passed by the legislative assembly in May 2019.
A bench of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed, terming section 3 of the Local Bodies Act in contradiction of the Constitution, ordered to restore the local government system.
During the hearing, the additional attorney general had also apprised the court that the Punjab government is ready to hold LB polls to ensure devolution of powers to grassroots.
The Council of Common Interest is discussing the matter, he added.
