LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday dismissed a petition against the Punjab Local Government Bill 2019 and likely dissolution of current set-up of the local government after declaring it non-maintainable.
Justice Mamoon Rashid Sheikh heard the petition filed by Chairman District Council Narowal, Ahmad Iqbal, son of former interior minister Ahsan Iqbal.
Earlier, the petitioner’s counsel argued that the petitioner and others elected to office under Punjab Local Government Act (PLGA)-2013 were entitled to complete their five-year term.
However, the current local government institutions would be eliminated and local bodies representatives would lose their positions after the enforcement of new local government bill, he added.
He submitted that the local bodies could not be dissolved until their tenure was completed.
He pleaded with the court for declaring that the petitioner and all others elected to office under PLGA-2013 were entitled to complete their constitutional term and suspend operation of the local government bill till completion of the term of the sitting set up.
However, a law officer submitted that the petition was pre mature and it was not maintainable. He submitted that although the bill had been passed by the provincial assembly but it was still not signed by the governor.
He further submitted that the courts could not interfere in the legislation process.
The court after hearing arguments of both the parties dismissed the petition being non-maintainable and observed that the courts could not interfere in the legislation process.