The Supreme Court on Wednesday decided to probe the delay in the restoration of local bodies in Punjab. The court also summoned the Chief Secretary Punjab, former Chief Secretary Punjab, Secretary Local Government on the next date of hearing.
A two-member SC bench, comprising Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed and Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel, heard the case against the delay in restoration of local governments in Punjab. During the course of proceedings, the counsel for the Punjab government submitted the notification relating to the restoration of local bodies in the province.
The Chief Justice observed that the notification was not correctly drafted and said that the provincial government considered that it had restored local government institutions.
The petitioner’s counsel said that the government had maintained in the Lahore High Court (LHC) that it could not implement the court’s orders on restoring local governments. At this, the bench sought all the records of the LHC’s legal proceedings. Justice Mazhar Alam said that the written reply by the Punjab secretary spoke about a summary, sent to the Punjab chief minister on the restoration of local governments.
The Chief Justice said that whoever was responsible for the delay would be held accountable for it.
The court sought certified copies of the LHC’s verdicts while ordering a probe into the matter and adjourned hearing of the case for two weeks.
