LAHORE/ISLAMABAD:
The Punjab Assembly has sent a unanimously approved resolution to the federal government seeking an amendment to Article 140-A of the constitution for constitutional protection of local governments.
According to the resolution moved by MPA Ahmad Iqbal Chaudhry of PML-N and MPA Syed Ali Haider Gillani of PPP jointly, the provincial legislature has proposed that a new chapter titled “Local Governments” be added to the constitution.
The proposed amendment recommends a clear constitutional definition of the tenure, powers and responsibilities of local authorities. The resolution also proposes that local government elections must be held within 90 days of the end of an electoral term and that elected officials must convene their first session within 21 days of the election.
The Punjab Assembly emphasized that local governments are the backbone of democracy and their continuity and empowerment is essential for effective public service delivery.
The text noted that after the 18th amendment, elected local bodies in Punjab could only function for two years. It called the establishment of a powerful and well-equipped local government system “inevitable”.
The assembly urged the federal government to amend Article 140-A without delay, pointing out that the Supreme Court of Pakistan has already declared local governments a “fundamental component of democracy”.
The resolution further stated that repeated changes to local government laws have weakened the institutions, adding that several countries around the world provide constitutional guarantees to local governments.
Citing international precedents, the resolution mentioned that the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association’s Lahore Charter also declared empowered local governments essential to democracy.
It recalled that even the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had in December 2022 recommended amendments to Article 140-A.
Meanwhile, the ECP on Friday agreed to give two-and-a-half months to the Punjab provincial government to complete the delimitation process for local government elections.
Talking to the media, Punjab Chief Secretary and Local Secretary said that all preparations for the polls would be completed by April-May 2026, ensuring that local government elections in Punjab are held on time and without delay.
Both the officials earlier attended an important meeting chaired by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja to review the arrangements for the upcoming local government elections in Punjab.
The meeting was also attended by ECP members, ECP secretary and other senior officials from both the provincial government and the commission.
During the meeting, CEC Raja emphasized that the conduct of local government elections is the joint responsibility of the Punjab government and the ECP.
He directed the provincial authorities to provide necessary rules, data, notifications and maps to enable timely delimitation of constituencies and ensure that the ECP can fulfill its constitutional obligations.
The Punjab Chief Secretary briefed the meeting that the Local Government Act 2025 has been passed and the draft delimitation rules have already been shared with the ECP.
