ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court revived cantonment boards in Peshawar and Wah on Wednesday and issued a stay order against a notification of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) which suspended the members of the two cantonment boards.

IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq issued the stay order while hearing a petition filed against the ECP notification suspending the cantonment boards’ members in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where the ECP was making arrangements for holding local government elections.

The court, however, stayed the suspension order for Peshawar and Wah cantonments only.

Justice Farooq observed that the ECP’s suspension of cantonment boards was premature as neither local government elections were held nor a schedule for them was issued.

He asked the ECP officials to explain reasonable grounds for making the LG system dormant.

The petitioners argued that the ECP had suspended the local governments and cantonment boards in Punjab and KP in violation of the law.

Justice Farooq, after hearing the arguments, issued a notice to the ECP and adjourned further hearing till March 14.

The ECP had on Feb 3 suspe­n­d­­ed elected representatives of local governments and cantonment boards in Punjab and KP ahead of the upcoming elections for provincial assemblies in the two provinces.

The ECP said the action had been taken to ensure transparency in the elections.

The commission said the representatives of local bodies had been suspended under Clause 3 of Article 218 of the Constitution, while the representatives of cantonment boards would also remain suspended until the polls were concluded.

Published in Dawn, February 16th, 2023