RAWALPINDI, July 23: The Lahore High Court division bench, Rawalpindi, on Wednesday dismissed an application of the Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) seeking suspension of the LHC single bench full order.

The division bench, comprising Justice Mohammad Javed Buttar and Justice Tanvir Bashir Ansari, in its preliminary hearing had suspended only a portion of the single judge’s order, giving partial relief to the civic body.

The RCB legal adviser, Munir Ahmad Paracha, moved an application in the court praying for full relief and repeal of the whole order of the single bench. The request, however, was turned down by the double bench arguing that the relief given was enough.

The division bench was of the view that the cantonment board submits a review petition for the purpose.

Earlier, the cantonment board legal adviser contended before the bench that the Cantonment Ordinance 2002 became operational from July 1, 2003. The Cantonment Act 1924 has been repealed. Thus, the new system is coming.

He said all cantonment boards had been dissolved and under the new system, local governments would be set up in the cantonment areas.

On the other hand, pressure is mounting on the cantonment board authorities as the elected members have requisitioned a special meeting of the full board. The cantonment authorities are reluctant to convene the session and have been working on different plans as how to pre-empt the move.

When contacted, the RCB chief executive officer, Khawaja Iftikhar Mir, said they had received the requisition notice. It has been handed over to the RCB legal adviser and we are waiting for a response from him, he said.

Mr Mir said they would be filing a review petition with the division bench to fully suspend operation of the single bench orders.

Furthermore, the preparations for local government elections have been started, he said.

Mr Mir said a new system was being introduced and union councils being demarcated to make the system operational.

When asked, a member of the full board, Haji Mohammad Ijaz, said they had not yet received any response from the cantonment authorities with regard to their requisition of the elected board meeting.

The full board is in the interests of the civic body and the cantonment authorities will also benefit from it. But, without any reason, they are afraid of the full board. May be it is because of the spadework needed for preparing the agenda for the full board meeting, Mr Ijaz added.