Islamabad (Staff Report/Agencies): The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday served a notice to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for delaying local body elections in Islamabad.
IHC judge Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir took up the petitions filed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) seeking to nullify ECP’s decision to delay the local government elections — scheduled to take place on December 31 —in the federal capital.
The IHC also issued a notice to Attorney-General for Pakistan Mansoor Usman Awan for assisting the court in the hearing.
On Tuesday, the ECP once again postponed local government elections in the country’s federal capital.
A five-member commission, led by Chief Election Commissioner Sikander Sultan Raja, announced the reserved verdict after the completion of the arguments and deferred the LG elections due to be held on December 31 following a change in the union councils of the city.
In a short order posted on Twitter, the ECP said: “Keeping in view the legal provisions & the judgment of the Honourable High Court, Islamabad dated 23/12/2022 regarding the subject matter. Local Government Election in ICT scheduled to be held on 31/12/2022 is hereby postponed for the time being.”