Following directions from Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Punjab government through an ordinance has withdrawn amendments in Punjab Local Government Act 2013 to pave way for elections for mayors, deputy mayors and chairmen zila councils.
Now the elections on reserved seats, mayors/ deputy mayors and chairmen/vice chairmen zila councils will be held through secret balloting instead of show of hands or on the basis of proportional representation system of political parties.
Punjab government has amended the Local Government Act 2013 in March 2016 at time when the Election Commission of Pakistan has announced schedule of local government polls on reserved and district council seats in Punjab. The amendments from Punjab made the election process controversial and the joint opposition took up the matter with the Supreme Court. The involvement of SC delayed the electoral process announced by the ECP.
Punjab government on the instruction of PM Nawaz Sharif two days back has withdrawn all the amendments done in LGA 2013. Punjab Governor Rafiq Rajwana through an ordinance has withdrawn all the amendments on Thursday.
After new amendments in the LGA, the elections of Mayor/Deputy Mayor and Chairmen/ Vice Chairmen Zila Council will be held through secret balloting instead of show of hands.
Earlier, Punjab government after witnessing strong differences within PML-N ranks in various districts, has amended the PLGA to hold the elections of mayor/deputy mayors and chairman/vice chairmen zila council through show of hands. Likewise, the government had amended the PLGA for holding elections on reserved seats on the basis of proportional representation system of political parties instead of using secret balloting.
Through amendments, the seats of deputy mayors in Metropolitan Lahore have been reduced from thirteen to nine and size of ten worker members has been reduced to five worker members. Similarly, the government has reduced the number of ten technocrat members to three technocrat members in the metropolitan assembly.