PTI govt promises new local bodies system in three months

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry has said Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government would introduce a new local bodies system in the country within three months.

Prime Minister Imran Khan would present draft of the new local bodies system on Sunday aimed at changing the district and tehsil level system to facilitate the people, he said while talking to a private news channel.

The minister said negotiations with opposition regarding the new local bodies bill were underway and the government would try to convince the PPP and PML-N to support that bill.

The local bodies representatives would utilize development funds on the welfare of people of their areas to provide them relief, he added.

Chaudhry Fawad Hussain said power would be transferred to the grassroots level because matters of big cities like Karachi could only be resolved by the mayor. If the governance system will be changed then less problems would be reported across the country, he added.

He said as per the law and the constitution the federal government would suggest to Sindh and other provincial governments regarding the devolution of powers.

The minister said former Punjab chief minister Shehbaz Sharif had kept all powers of the province to himself during the last government and utilized all resources only on one city, Lahore.

Replying to a question, he said Prime Minister Imran Khan had consulted experts on every issue and resolved many problems of the country in a short span of time.

The cancellation of an exhibition of blasphemous caricatures was a victory of Pakistan, he added.

He said Imran Khan has adopted austerity measures and preferred to reside in a three bedroom house instead of the Prime Minister House.