Passes LG amendments, adopts three resolutions
The Punjab Assembly during the first sitting of the 17th session on Wednesday passed Local Government (Amendment) Bill 2015 denying direct elections to women, minorities and workers.
The bill prescribes direct elections only for chairman, vice chairman and six councilors in a union council, while councilors for labour, minorities, women and farmers would be selected by their respective panels.
Minorities had been calling for a change in the Punjab Local Government Ordinance (Amended) 2015, as it deprived voters belonging to religious minorities the right to elect their representatives through direct vote in the local government system. Prominent minorities leaders have declared that they may boycott the elections if their demands are not met. Those criticising the bill include Archbishop of Lahore Sebastian Shah, Bishop Rt Rev Munu Romal Shah, Vicar of Lahore Cathedral Rev Shahid Mehraj, Salvation Army Head Col Washington Daniel and Sikh leader Bishen Singh.
The House passed the Punjab LG (Amendment) Bill 2015 while the Punjab Flood Plain Regulation Bill 2015 was introduced in the House. Two other bills including the Punjab Commission on the Status of Women (Amendment) Bill 2015 and the Punjab Maternity Benefits (Amendment) Bill 2015 were not considered by the House.
The House adopted three resolutions to extend the validity period of three ordinances for 90 days including the Punjab Food Authority (Amendment) Ordinance, the Punjab Special Protection Unit Ordinance 2015 and the Punjab Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority (Amendment) Ordinance 2015. Two other resolutions seeking extension in the Infrastructure Development Authority of the Punjab Ordinance 2015 and the Punjab Pure Food (Amendment) Ordinance 2015 were not taken up by the House.
Minister for Law presented the Punjab Private Educational Institutions (Promotion and Regulation)(Amendment) Ordinance 2015; the Ali Institute of Education Lahore (Amendment) Ordinance 2015; the Ghazi University, Dera Ghazi Khan (Second Amendment) Ordinance 2015 and the Punjab Urban Immovable Property Tax (Amendment) Ordinance 2015.
