CM Chaudhry Parvez Elahi chaired a high-level consultative meeting regarding delimitations of Union Councils

Lahore, January 07:

Chief Minister Punjab Chaudhry Parvez Elahi chaired a high-level consultative meeting at CM Office today in which Speaker Punjab Assembly Muhammad Sabtain Khan, Senior Provincial Minister Mian Aslam Iqbal, Provincial Ministers Raja Basharat, Mian Mehmood-ur-Rasheed and MNA Brigadier (Retd) Ijaz Shah attended. The notification of the Election Commission about delimitations of union councils was comprehensively reviewed. The meeting unanimously rejected one-sided notification of the Election Commission about delimitations of union councils and expressed that the one-sided notification about delimitations of union councils does not fulfill legal requirements. The participants vehemently remarked that the Punjab government does not accept this one-sided notification of the Election Commission. CM Parvez Elahi stated that the one-sided notification of the Election Commission is an attempt to bulldoze public opinion adding that the local people and administration have not been included with regard to delimitations of union councils nor any consultations have been made in this regard. CM maintained a legal and a constitutional course will be adopted about the one-sided notification of the Election Commission regarding delimitations of union councils adding that the Punjab government will play its due role according to the constitution and law. CM underscored that the local government institutions are the nurseries of democracy. CM highlighted that the problems of the masses can only be resolved at their doorsteps only through a strong democratic government. CM apprehended that if the delimitations took effect according to one-sided notification of the Election Commission than strong local governments cannot be formed under any circumstance. CM outlined that prima facie this one-sided notification is based on malafide intentions and a nefarious attempt to benefit a special political party adding that we hold strong reservations regarding this one-sided notification of the Election Commission. The legal and constitutional sides with regard to one-sided notification of the Election Commission were also reviewed during the consultative meeting.