Punjab CM’s Special Committee on Local Govt Act 2019 meets

LAHORE: A meeting of the Punjab Chief Minister's Special Committee on Local Government Act 2019 was held on Wednesday under the chairmanship of Senior Punjab Minister Abdul Aleem Khan.

Eight other ministers including Law Minister Raja Basharat, Mian Mahmoodur Rasheed and Chaudhry Zaheeruddin also attended the meeting. Briefing the committee on the hearing held in the Supreme Court the last day, Secretary LG Noorul Amin Mengal said the Election Commission had stated in the Supreme Court that the Punjab government had not informed it before amending the Local Government Act 2019. The Committee unanimously said that the statement of the Election Commission that it was not informed earlier was contrary to the facts.

"The fact is that the Punjab Law minister, the chief secretary and the secretary Local Government appeared before the Election Commission twice on behalf of the Punjab government and informed it that the Punjab government wanted to amend the Punjab Local Government Act 2019, which was also acknowledged by the Election Commission in the minutes of its meetings. The Election Commission has admitted that it was stated by the representatives of the Punjab government that it intended to introduce amendments to the said Act. The committee said that the minutes of the meetings issued by the Election Commission automatically refuted its statement in the Supreme Court. It was said that it was a matter of concern that the position of the Punjab government on that issue had been weakened by making a contradictory statement before the Supreme Court.

"Had the facts been placed before the honourable court, it would not have passed the remarks about Punjab that were made in the hearing," the members added.