ISLAMABAD          -           The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Monday admitted the Intra-Court Appeals (ICAs) of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and the federal government against the single-bench’s decision about the local bodies’ elections in the federal capital. A two-member bench of IHC comprising Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Saman Rafat Imtiaz conducted hearing of the ICAs. After accepting the ICAs for hearing, the IHC bench also issued notices to the respondents, including PTI leader Ali Nawaz Awan and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) leader Mian Muhammad Aslam and sought their replies for 9th January. However, the IHC bench dismissed the ECP’s plea to suspend the IHC single bench’s verdict. During the hearing, the ECP counsel argued that a bill was passed by the parliament, proposing to increase the number of union councils (UCs) in the capital from 101 to 125, which was returned unsigned by the president on Sunday. The IHC CJ said that the question is that elections could not be delayed because of a single bill while the bill had not been turned into law yet. The ECP counsel adopted the stance that the bill had been passed by both houses. He mentioned that there were possibilities [of the question] that under which law would the mayor and the deputy mayor be elected. The additional attorney general said that the notification issued on December 19 has not been challenged, not even in this petition. The IHC CJ said that the said notification had been challenged. The IHC CJ pointed out that none of the parties was addressing the actual constitutional matters raised in the matter.