ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court rejected a request of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to change the schedule of the local government (LG) elections in the province.
A three-member bench headed by Justice Umar Ata Bandial heard the petition challenging the high court’s orders to conduct the polls on a party basis.
The apex court directed that LG elections will be held on a party basis. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has also taken steps to implement the verdict of the Peshawar High Court (PHC).
The KP advocate general argued there is a need to give meaningful representation instead of holding elections for the sake of doing it.
Justice Bandial remarked it is necessary to strengthen political parties to empower democracy and the political parties could not be excluded from a political process.
Justice Mansoor Ali Shah said not a single political party has appeared before the court. He maintained that the political parties should have moved to the court to challenge the high court’s verdict in case of any problem.
The KP Advocate General argued there is no legal capacity for the orders issued by the high court. He further sought the SC to allow the provincial government to change the polls’ schedule if the court was not issuing the stay order.
Justice Bandial remarked the court will strictly oppose the move to change LG polls’ dates.
