PPP to challenge LG Act 2025 signed by its own governor

LAHORE: The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Lahore division, has announced to challenge the newly-enacted Local Government (LG) Act 2025 in court a law of law, which was signed by Punjab Governor Sardar Salim Haider, a nominee of President Asif Ali Zardari, immediately after its passage by the Punjab Assembly.

The Punjab government had hurriedly passed the LG Bill 2025 earlier this month amid strong protests from the opposition. Under constitutional provisions, the governor may return a bill once for reconsideration, but Governor Salim Haider approved it without raising any objections or writing any dissenting note, a move that has drawn criticism from within his own party ranks.

According to the party insiders, when a special secretary briefed the governor about the new legislation, no senior PPP members including Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Nadeem Afzal Chan, or Ali Haider Gilani were invited to attend the meeting. These leaders are part of the coordination committee tasked with negotiations with the PMLN over PPP’s share in provincial development funds and schemes.

PPP leaders have dubbed the new law “a copy of Zia’s 1985 non-party system” and described it as “half partridge and half quail”, reflecting its perceived ambiguity and political imbalance.

Addressing a press conference following a divisional consultative meeting at the Peoples Secretariat in Model Town, Lahore, senior PPP leaders Mian Misbahur Rehman, Asif Hashmi, Faisal Mir, and Nargis Khan strongly criticised the law and announced plans to contest it both legally and politically. Misbahur Rehman said that the upcoming local government elections would be the first in which independent candidates are compelled to join a political party. “If the PMLN has faith in its popularity, why is it avoiding party-based elections?” he questioned. He stressed that the job of MNAs and MPAs is not to install streetlights or pave streets but to legislate, while provision of local services should rest with empowered local bodies. He announced that the PPP would field candidates on all seats across Lahore and called for forming a committee to select potential candidates. Misbah urged PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, and Governor Salim Haider to review the new law and introduce necessary amendments.

Asif Hashmi accused the ruling PMLN of fearing genuine political competition. “Those who boast about unprecedented development in Punjab should not shy away from holding local government elections on a party basis,” he said.

Faisal Mir, who organised the meeting, declared that the PPP would not repeat the 2015 walkover and would launch a vigorous campaign starting from its Johar Town office, to be led by Majeed Ghauri. He expressed the hope that the Punjab chief minister would ensure transparency and prevent manipulation of results. He further revealed that the party leadership has proposed giving tickets to all candidates who contested elections in Lahore between 2007 and 2024. “No other party has begun preparations like the PPP,” Mir asserted, adding that the party would invite formal applications from potential candidates soon.

PPP Lahore Women’s Wing President Nargis Khan said the ruling party’s intent was already visible before the election process had even begun. “The ill intentions of the PMLN stand exposed. PPP women will participate in large numbers in the upcoming elections,” she affirmed.

The PPP’s Lahore Division has now resolved to challenge the Local Government Act 2025 in court, calling it undemocratic and designed to weaken the grassroot representation system.