KP govt suggests local bodies elections in province during Sept, October  

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has recommended holding local bodies elections during a period between the end of September and mid-October, ARY NEWS reported on Sunday.

The recommendations prepared by the KP government further said that elections in the now merged tribal areas would be held separately.

“The elections in rest of the districts will be held on the same day,” it said as the provincial cabinet headed by Chief Minister Mahmood Khan would now mull over the recommendations on Monday.

The administrative affairs department of the KP government has issued a 40-point agenda of the cabinet meeting that would also discuss measures to stem COVID spread, vaccination process, the inclusion of liver treatment in Sehat Card and approval of funds for tribal areas.

Laws relating to shelter homes, ordinance on safeguarding rivers and other key measures would also be discussed during the cabinet meeting.

Earlier, it was reported that the local bodies elections will be held in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in different phases. The new local government system will be comprised of the district, tehsil, village and neighborhood councils.

Officials have compiled recommendations to keep the number of councillors lesser than the previous local bodies system. “It has also been recommended for direct election for the tehsil Nazim”, sources said.

“Under the new system, seven tehsil councils have been established in Peshawar,” according to officials.

The KP local bodies system completed its tenure during August 2020 and the ECP is bound to hold elections within 120 days after the expiry of LB tenure under Article 140 (A) and Section (4) 219 of the Election Act 2017.