LAHORE: The Punjab Assembly’s Standing Committee on Local Government has approved the Local Government Bill 2025, which proposes a new local government system across the province.
Committee Chairman Pir Ashraf Rasool said the bill will now be presented in the provincial assembly for final approval. The Punjab government aims to hold local body elections in December this year.
Under the proposed bill, fresh delimitations will be carried out. The district administration will assist the Election Commission of Pakistan in this process.
One of the key changes in the bill is the abolition of the ward system within Union Councils. Instead, each Union Council will elect nine members. These elected members must join a political party within one month and will be responsible for electing their own chairman and vice-chairman. They will also elect members for reserved seats.
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A controversial clause that previously proposed appointing Deputy Commissioners (DCs) as chairpersons of district committees has been amended. Now, elected public representatives will serve as chairpersons, while DCs will act as co-chairpersons. This change was made based on a unanimous recommendation by the committee.
According to the bill, the head of the largest local government (based on population) will serve as the district committee chairperson for six months. After that, the role will rotate every six months to the head of the next most populous local government. In the absence of a local government head, the role will pass to the next eligible district.
Clause-by-clause briefings on the bill are being held weekly by the committee. It will be presented in the full assembly for final passage.
