LAHORE: The Punjab Assembly on Monday adopted Punjab Local Government (second amendment) Ordinance 2014 with majority of the House.

Provincial Law Minister Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman presented the Ordinance in the House.

The ordinance will empower the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to carry out delimitation of constituencies of the local government. Previously the Delimitation of Constituencies Act 1974 allowed the ECP to only delimit PA and NA constituencies.

The ordinance was tabled on October 20 in the provincial assembly which was sent to the standing committee on local government and development.

The Supreme Court of Pakistan had earlier directed the Punjab government to bring necessary amendments in the bill.

There is no local government in Punjab since 2009 as the provincial government did not hold fresh local body elections due the same year under the devolution based Local Government Ordinance 2001 given by former military ruler Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government did not opt for local elections under the Local Govt Ordinance 2001 which it abhorred but continued to directly control districts through DCOs appointed under the same law.

The same arrangements are in place under the same law despite the PML-N government had passed the Punjab Local Government Act 2013 of its choice.

Sources said the new law would become effective only after fresh local elections under it. But in that case there would be a new district management system, having no direct link with the weak district councils.