The Punjab Local Government (Second Amendment) Bill 2011 was unanimously approved by the Punjab Assembly on Wednesday, despite the opposition’s comprehensive arguments against it, paving way for another six-month delay in local government polls.
The opposition pointed out quorum five times during the session on Wednesday, but treasury members managed to get the bill approved anyway.
The polls were scheduled to be held in October.
Eight bills were presented in the House, but surprisingly in the seven-hour meeting, only one bill – the local government one – was passed.
The bill contained seven clauses, with several amendments in various sections. The opposition, particularly PML-Q MPAs Mohsin Leghari, Seemal Kamran, Samia Amjad, Samina Khawar Hayat, Dr Amina Ulfat and PPP’s Ehsanul Haq Naulatia and Shaukat Basra, moved their motions on five of these clauses. But despite their comprehensive arguments, their motions could not be passed as they were opposed by the majority. Opposition then resorted to pointing out quorum but in vain.
The local government issue has been under discussion since February 2010 when the government replaced nazims by administrators. On October 21, 2010, the Punjab government made a first amendment in Section 179-A of the Punjab Local Government Ordinance 2001, which allowed the government 365 days for holding elections.
On October 13 a year later, the provincial government, in a cabinet meeting, postponed the elections by six months. Therefore, the government, through amendments and ordinances, is delaying holding these elections in the province.
One of the amendments in the bill states that the government shall notify, within 180 days, a date for holding local government elections but the government hasn’t yet completed its work for formation of a new local government system. It further states that the deadline of 365 days expired on October 27, 2011.
Ulfat moved the motion that the government, in the last four years, had failed to formulate a new local government system and was continuously demanding extensions. She urged that this time, the government should be given 30 instead of 180 days.
Section 109 of the ordinance has also been amended, thus withdrawing the provision that it is mandatory for the local government to allocate 25 percent of the development budget for citizen community boards. This money can now be used in other sectors.
According to the last amendment discussed in the House, the ad-hoc accounts committee shall consist of four MPAs, one of whom will be from the opposition. The government shall nominate members of the committee and appoint a convener from among the committee members.
