Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: President Dr. Arif Alvi is holding back a government summary forwarded to him for convening a joint session of the Parliament, in an apparent bid to halt the passage of the Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government (Amendment) Bill.
The government decided to convene a joint session of the Parliament next week to pass the Local Government (Amendment) Bill and sent a summary to the President in this regard. As per official sources, the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs has sent the summary to the President along with the advice of the prime minister. However, the President has not yet issued the notification for convening the joint session of the Parliament, as per the parliamentary sources. The president had earlier sent back the Local Government (Amendment) Bill bill without signing it.
The government has a plan to table the Bill again in the parliament for approval. After the approval of the Parliament, it will then be sent again to the President. If the president does not sign the bill within 10 days, it will automatically become an act of law.
Amid a heightened controversy between the government and the PTI on holding local government elections in the federal capital Islamabad, President Alvi had returned the ICT Local Government (Amendment) Bill, 2022 unsigned, on the onset of the New Year.
The President observed that passage of the bill would further delay the Local Government elections in Islamabad. He further stated that elections could not be held in the ICT due to the mala fide actions of the federal government.
ICT Union Councils
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had, after completion of delimitation of 50 union councils, announced the LG elections in the ICT. Despite announcing polling date, the government enhanced the number of union councils from 50 to 101, resulting in postponement of elections, President Alvi stated. After demarcation of 101 union councils, the ECP decided to hold elections in capital territory on 31st December 2022. The PTI has been accusing the government of delaying the local government elections in the capital for being unpopular among the masses.
