PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak has said that provincial government is committed to hold local government elections before Nov 15, 2014 as per the judgment of Supreme Court of Pakistan.

Discussing matters related to local government elections with Advocate General Abdul Latif Yousafzai here on Wednesday. He said that provincial government in close contact with Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to use biometric system in the polls.

The chief minister said that the government would take all necessary steps with the cooperation of ECP to hold local government elections timely in fair, impartial and transparent manner. For the purpose, provincial government was insisting that biometric system should be used in the local government elections, he added.

Mr Khattak said that Supreme Court of Pakistan while deciding the cases of Punjab and Sindh provinces had observed in its detailed judgment on March 19, 2014 that the process of delimitation was part of election process.

It was the duty of ECP to complete the delimitation process, he said.

“To complete the delimitation process as per the decision of Supreme Court, necessary amendments in Local Government Act and Rules shall be made accordingly,” the chief minister said. All that should be done within the timeframe given by the Supreme Court of Pakistan, he added.

Mr Khattak said that it was the manifesto of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf to hold local government elections in a fair, impartial and transparent manner.

“PTI-led coalition government has enacted Local Government Act and even transferred more than 30 per cent of its own resources to enable the local government system to resolve the problems of poor at grassroots level. It is a proof of our sincerity to empower the masses and revive local bodies in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as soon as possible,” the chief minister said.