ABBOTTABAD: The Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld the decisions of the Election Commission of Pakistan and Peshawar High Court to unseat Abbottabad district nazim Sardar Sher Bahadar and 20 Abbottabad and Havelian district and tehsil councilors for defection.

Justice Atta Mohammad Bandiyal of a three-member bench made an announcement in this respect in Lahore.

The bench had reserved the judgement a month ago after completing hearing into a joint appeal of the nazim and councillors against their unseating by the ECP and its subsequent upholding by the PHC.

The legal battle lasted more than two and a half years.

Noted among the unseated councillors were Abbottabad district nazim Sardar Sher, naib nazim Shaukat Tanoli and council member Nazeer Abbasi, who had ditched the PTI to side with the PML-N to claim the key positions in the council.

The others were members of Abbottabad and Havelian tehsil councils, who all were unseated under the defection clause.

The Rs1.28 billion funds of Abbottabad district remained unutilised during the last two and a half years as the litigation stopped the local governments from using that money.

Also, the provincial government stopped the release of extra funds to the district and gave them away to other districts stalling the ongoing development projects and delaying execution of new ones.

Now after the Supreme Court’s decision, the ECP will announce schedule of elections for all these vacant seats.

Published in Dawn, December 21st, 2017