A toxic culture that has developed over the past few years has been vitiating the country’s peaceful environment to a point where the everyday discourse revolves around the sky-rocketing prices and economic instability, which work hideously to damage the country’s political and social fabric beyond reclamation.
The existing polarization among the political leadership of the country has led to delaying the long overdue local governments’ elections in the federal capital, which have again fallen prey to a tug-of-war between the ruling alliance led by the Pakistan Muslim League (N) and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) after President Dr Arif Alvi refused to sign the Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government (Amendment) Bill 2022, seeking an approval to increase the number of union councils in Islamabad from 101 to 125.
The wrangling over the bill started soon after the federal cabinet approved a summary sent by the Ministry of Interior to increase the existing number of union councils of the federal capital.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, which was ousted from power in April last year, was all set to contest the local governments’ polls slated to be held on December 31. The party’s leadership strongly protested the decision on the number of union councils and termed the development another tactic on the part of the ruling alliance to run away from the political arena.
Initially, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had fixed 31 July as the first date of the local governments’ elections for the capital city. But, the incumbent government approached the court with the plea that the population of Islamabad has increased and the number of union councils (UCs) should be increased from 50 to 100.
The plea was accepted. Candidates started its preparations and when the election process reached its peak for the polling on December 31, 2022, ECP owing to government’s intervention could not manage to hold the polls, even the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on December 30th ordered the ECP to hold the polls as per schedule, Dec 31, directing the country’s capital machinery to implement its directions.
As no polling staff was deployed and the ballot papers and other material could not transported, the court decision was not implement and another schedule fixed for local body polls in Islamabad was missed. Government challenged IHC decision, ECP also confirmed to the apex court stating that polls could not be managed in shortest time while the opposition submitted contempt of court proceedings against both.
Since it came to power in April 2022, President Alvi and Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) at odds with each other over several issues including the bill in question.
Local government installation is a critical step for public service improvement and developed nations across the globe have termed it as the only beginning of the journey toward a comprehensive system which ensured collect and spend resources efficiently. Unfortunately, in Pakistan political parties ignore the power and capability of local governments.
The major political parties who make tall claims of democracy have always tried to usurp the functions and resources assigned to local bodies in the country.
