The president returned the bill days after the Senate had passed it after Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani had hurriedly summoned a session of the upper house of the parliament last Friday on the government’s requisition when President Alvi had refused to do so. President Dr Arif Alvi has returned unsigned the Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government (Amendment) Bill, 2022 in terms of clause (1) (b) of Article 75 of the Constitution. As per Section 3 of the current Bill, Alvi said, the mode of elections of the Mayor and Deputy Mayor has been changed after the announcement of the schedule of elections. However, it was reported that the ECP later announced that LG elections in the federal capital would be held as per schedule. It said that the Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI) is a municipal body established under the ICT Local Government (Amendment) Act, 2022.

Source: The Express Tribune January 01, 2023 15:15 UTC