MULTAN City News

Political parties slammed for not holding LB polls
From Our Correspondent
MULTAN: People belonging to different walks of life and civil society members have criticised the PML-N, PPP and PTI leadership for not holding Local Bodies elections in Punjab, Sindh and KPK.
They expressed these views while addressing a seminar organised by a local NGO here on Wednesday. Addressing the seminar, Bahauddin Zakariya University’s Distance Learning Programme Director Dr Ishaq Fani criticised the Establishment for not allowing political parties to develop political institutions. He said that the PML-N leadership had a fear that the party could be defeated in Punjab if the LB polls held while the PPP and the PTI were also facing the same fear in their provinces. He said that the LB polls only organised in Balochistan because political parties were weaker than the traditional tribal system in the province. The Supreme Court of Pakistan issued deadline for the LB polls but political parties could not follow the order, he added. He stressed upon more transparency in Local Bodies process. PML-N leader Bilal Butt claimed that the PML-N would hold the LB polls in her tenure at any cost, adding that the PML-N was not afraid of holding the elections. A large number of special persons who also participated in the seminar urged upon the political parties for allocation of 15pc quota for them in the Local Bodies elections. The other speakers said that holding regular, free and fair LB polls was must for better political system. They said that holding LB polls would strong political system at grass-root level. PPP South Punjab acting general secretary Dr Javed Siddiqui, Pakistan Seraiki Party VP Syed Hassan Raza, Malik Nasim, Sister Nasim George and Jam Jamshed also spoke.