LAHORE: The Punjab cabinet on Tuesday approved amendments in the existing Punjab Local Government (PLG) Act 2019.
The approval was given during a provincial cabinet meeting held with Chief Minister Usman Buzdar in the chair, here in Lahore, today, reported Radio Pakistan.
According to the newly approved amendments in the Punjab Local Government Act 2019, political parties and the electoral groups will be allowed to take part in local bodies’ elections while minorities will now be able to vote on general seats as well.
The Punjab cabinet also approved Punjab Village Panchayat and Neighborhood Councils Act 2019 besides Punjab Demarcation of Local Areas Rules 2019.
Under these amendments, a total of 455 local governments will be formed throughout province.
Provincial cabinet also okayed changes in Punjab Municipal Service Program under which local governments will implement road construction and repair schemes.
Read more: ECP raises objections over ‘flaws’ in Punjab local bodies law
The Punjab Local Government Act 2019 was passed by the provincial legislature in May this year.
Earlier in the month of July, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had raised questioned over the existing local government law Punjab.
According to sources, the ECP in its objections had said that several clauses of the new local councils law of Punjab were in contravention to the Representation of People’s Act 2017, highlighting the need to re-tune the provincial law in accordance with the election act.
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