RAWALPINDI: The Punjab government on Thursday did not allow the mayor of Rawalpindi and union council chairmen to enter Jinnah Hall to hold a meeting and forced them to convene a session of the Rawalpindi Metropolitan Corporation (RMC) in front of its main gate.

But in a rare show of unity, the ruling PTI joined hands with the opposition PML-N and PPP union council chairmen to hold a session in the parking area of the RMC.

The PTI government dissolved the LG system in the province in May 2019. However, the Supreme Court restored them on March 25 this year.

The local government members asked the federal as well as the Punjab governments to implement the decision of the Supreme Court.

Led by Rawalpindi Mayor Sardar Naseem Khan and 40 PML-N union council chairmen, PPP’s UC chairmen Babar Jadoon and Raja Shahid Papu and PTI’s Mumtaz Khan and Azhar Satti announced to file a contempt of court petition in Supreme Court.

Mayor, UC chairmen belonging to PML-N, PPP and PTI hold session outside building, decide to file contempt of court plea

When the local government members arrived at the RMC, all senior officials had left their offices and locked the doors to bar them from entering the hall.

Mayor Khan said the Punjab government had directed the RMC officials to lock the doors of the main hall and not facilitate the elected members.

“We did not blame the RMC officials for this as they had to obey the directives of the provincial government. We ask the government to provide us details of the income and expenditures of the civic body from March 26 to May 31 along with decisions taken in this period as without approval of the elected body all such decisions would be illegal.”

He said the civic body officials would not be allowed to utilise the development budget without approval of the local government assembly.

“We will challenge the attitude of the Punjab government in the court within a day,” he said.

He said all union council chairmen, women, labour, minority members as well as the PPP and PTI supported him. The PTI government had abolished the local government system as 56,000 members in Punjab belonged to PML-N, he added.

He said on the direction of the the Supreme Court the meeting had been convened and was held in the parking area. He said there was a need to respect the Supreme Court decision but the PTI had double standards. When a decision comes in its favour it appreciates it otherwise it does not even accepts it.

PPP Union Council Chairman Babar Jadoon, who is also PPP City chapter president, said: “We support Mayor Khan and would start an agitation against Chief Minister Usman Buzdar to implement the decision of the Supreme Court for restoration of the local government.”

PTI Union Council Chairman Azhar Satti said the local government was suspended two years ago and after its restoration by the Supreme Court the federal and provincial governments were bound to allow the members to resume work.

“We, two members of the PTI, would support the mayor to file a contempt of court plea in Supreme Court. We have not left the party but will not compromise on principles and support all members of the RMC to raise their voice for the restoration of the local government,” he added.

Other members also spoke and passed a resolution asking the government to implement the decision of the apex court.

They said the PTI government dissolved the LG system in May 2019 and violated the law. The RMC members will assemble in the ground again next week even if the administration locked the doors.

Published in Dawn, June 4th, 2021