The Lahore High Court on Thursday sought assistance from the Punjab advocate general on March 9 on a petition challenging the appointment of administrators in local governments throughout Punjab, replacing the public representatives.

Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed, after hearing the arguments of the petitioner’s counsel, Advocate Ch Fawad Hussain, ordered the AGP to appear before the court as the matter was of important nature.

The petition was filed by Local Councils Association of Pakistan (LCAP) through its Director Anwer Hussain.

The petitioner-association through its counsel had said that, since the present government had come to power, it had been making every effort to subvert and sabotage the smooth functioning of the district governments. The district coordination officers (DCO), responsible to assist elected representatives under the law, were made to act against the interest of the district government.

He said, at the first instance, the government had revived Commissioners at division level and created a third layer of bureaucracy, virtually undermining the authority of the Local Governments.

He said now provincial government had made amendment in Punjab Local Government Ordinance 2001 by enacting the Punjab Local government (Amendment) Act 2010 that, according to hum, was a clear violation of Art-140-A of the constitution.

He said, as a result of the enactment, the provincial government had not only dissolved the local bodies in Punjab but also appointed the Administrators through a notification.

He said the most significant aspect of the system was a departure from bureaucratic system to representative system, the essence of Local Government. He said newly appointed administrators had assumed all powers of district and local government functions.

He prayed to the court to set aside the appointment of administrators by declaring amendment to the PLGO as ultra vires to the constitution.

He appealed to the court to allow the elected representative of the local bodies to continue working until the new elections were held.