Punjab govt decides to hold local bodies polls inMarch2022

LAHORE: The Punjab government Thursday decided to hold the local government elections in the province in March 2022. Reportedly, the Punjab government has completed itshomework regarding the conductofthelocalgovernment elections in the province and decided to hold the polls next year in the month of March. The municipal corporationhasalreadychalkedout the rules for the delimitation of constituencies. It has been learnt that the total cost to be incurred on the local government electionswillbearoundRs4billion. The Punjab government and the Election Commission of Pakistan have agreed to hold the LG polls in March next year. The Election Commission will give the final date for the local bodies’ elections.

The current tenure of the local government bodies is expiring in December 2021. TheSupreme Court in its shortorderissued on March 25ruled against the dissolution of local bodies in Punjab, ordering the provincial government to restore the LG bodies after terming their dissolution unconstitutional. The Punjab government dissolved the LG bodies under Section 3 of the Punjab Local Government Act 2019 though the polls were conducted under the PLGA 2013 in phases in 2015 and 2016. The tenure of the elected local bodies was five years. But the Punjab government cut short their tenure and abruptly abolished the local bodies on July 2 after it amended Section 3(2) of the PLGA by inserting the words 21 months to replace five years. —INP