PA committee approves local government bill; elections in December

LAHORE: The Punjab Assembly Standing Committee on Local Government has approved the Local Government Bill, 2025. Now, it will be presented in the provincial assembly for final approval, according to Committee Chairman Pir Ashraf Rasool.

Government sources indicated that the Punjab government intends to conduct local government elections in December 2025. Under the proposed legislation, a new local government structure will be implemented in the province.

The bill includes provisions for the demarcation of new constituencies across Punjab as well. The district administration will assist the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in this process.

According to the bill, the existing ward system will be abolished at the Union Council level. Each Union Council will elect nine members, who will be required to join a political party within one month of their election.

These nine elected members will choose a chairman and vice chairman from among themselves. They will also elect members for reserved seats.

A key amendment to the bill, introduced with unanimous support from the Standing Committee, changes the composition of district committees. The chairman of each district committee will be a public representative, while the Deputy Commissioner will serve as co-chairman.

Additionally, the bill introduces a rotational system for the chairmanship of district committees. Based on population, the head of the largest local government will serve as chairman for the first six months. The role will then rotate every six months to the head of the next largest local government in the district.

If a local government does not have a designated head, the responsibility will shift to the next eligible district.

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