November 13, 2002	Wednesday	Ramazan 7, 1423

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window).

RAWALPINDI, Nov 12: Ministry of Law has not yet approved the draft cantonment ordinance 2002 prepared by the National Reconstruction Bureau (NRB), well-placed sources told Dawn on Tuesday.

According to the sources, approval of the draft has been delayed by the law ministry officials on the basis that it was prepared in haste by the NRB without taking stock of ground realities.

The Britishers took four years to prepare the cantonment act 1924 whereas the NRB drafted the ordinance in just three months, the sources said while quoting the officials of the law ministry.

“They have said the draft would be minutely studied and then passed,” the sources said.

On the other hand, the military authorities have been pressurizing the officials to swiftly approve the draft so that it can be presented to the president for approval before the formation of government, they added.

They said that after formation of the government, approval of the ordinance would be at the disposal of the Parliament, where it would be presented in the shape of a bill.

“The process is likely to get lengthened and delay the local government elections in cantonment areas.”

It is pertinent to mention here that although the cantonment local government elections ordinance 2002 has been approved by the president, elections in cantonments cannot be held unless the cantonment ordinance 2002, which is to replace the cantonment act 1924, is approved.