LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Friday set aside establishment of new union councils (UCs) and their headquarters by the Punjab Delimitation Authority during delimitation for the upcoming local government polls in the province.

Justice Shahid Karim passed this order on a number of petitions filed by voters and candidates of different UCs.

The petitioners said the delimitation authority acted beyond its jurisdiction by creating new UCs and their headquarters. They further said the authority did not take up their appeals against flaws in the delimitation process and decided the matter ex parte (one-sided).

The petitioners said creation of new UCs was a violation of Section 11(3) of Punjab Local Government Act 2013, adding the law empowered the provincial government to make new UCs.

A provincial law officer told the court the new UCs had been established in view of proportion of population.

Justice Karim, however, set aside the new UCs for having been created without lawful authority.

Published in Dawn, September 5th, 2015

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