Staff Reporter Lahore
Punjab government has decided to amend the local government act ahead of the local bodies elections in the province to address the reservations of Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), a key coalition partner in federal and provincial governments, a local news channel reported.
The decision was made after Local Bodies Minister Mehmood ur Rasheed called on Chief Minister Punjab Usman Buzdar on Tuesday.
It was decided to convene a meeting of a special committee formed by the prime minister on the matter which would be attended by Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Pervez Khattak, Moonis Elahi, and Tariq Bashir Cheema.
The meeting would mull over various suggestions put forward by the PML-Q for changes in the local government act as the amended act would then be tabled before the Punjab Assembly for approval.
Mian Mehmood ur Rasheed said that they would be addressing the reservations of the coalition partners and would soon present the amended local government act in the assembly.
A report recently stated that the Punjab government is likely to hold local bodies elections in two phases between March and April next year.
Prime Minister Imran Khan has directed the Punjab government to organize local government (LG) elections in Punjab.
Sources said that the LG polls will be organized in two phases as the government will hold elections of the village councils in rural areas during the first phase and later for neighborhood councils in urban areas. Sources added that the LG polls will be organized on a non-party basis during its first phase.
After the conclusion of the polls’ first phase, party-based elections will be held for tehsil mayor and mayors of nine metropolitan corporations. Sialkot has been given the status of a metropolitan corporation.
