ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) on Wednesday filed a contempt of court petition against the federal government at the Islamabad High Court (IHC) regarding the increase in the number of union councils in the capital.
The ministry of interior, following the decision of the central government on Monday, immediately issued a letter increasing the number of seats from 101 to 125. This increase in the union councils required new delimitations — a process that could take several months to complete.
The petition read the high court has already given a verdict regarding the issue of the union council. It added the court has stopped the increase in the number of union councils.
The government has committed contempt of court by increasing the number of union councils, read the petition. Ali Nawaz Awan, in the petition, also requested contempt of court action against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, among others.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, after the federal government moved to delay local bodies elections in the capital, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) said the polls would be held as per schedule on December 31.
“The Election Commission in the exercise of its power under Articles 140-A (2), Article 218, (3) Article 219(d) and Article 222 of the Constitution read with Section 219 of Elections Act, 2017 and all other enabling provisions of law hereby decides to continue elections process notwithstanding the notification dated 19-12-2022 issued by the federal government as the said notification is in violation of Section 4 (4) of the Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government Act, 2015,” read an ECP order.
