RAWALPINDI: After winning in Punjab, PTI has its eyes set on changes in the local governments across the 36 districts of the province, where PML-N is predominant.

A senior PTI leader told Dawn that local governments will be important as PTI Chairman Imran Khan has already made it clear that the role of members of parliament will be to do legislation and that all development works will be launched through local bodies.

“It will be difficult to implement party agenda in the presence of PML-N led local governments in the province. This has been the principal stand of the PTI for many years that members of parliament have no role in the construction of streets, nullahs and other civic issues,” he said.

PTI chairman Imran Khan had vowed to limit MPA role to legislation, conduct development works via local govt

The party wants to make changes to the Punjab Local Government Act but needs a two-thirds majority in the provincial assembly, he said, and that the party had two options, to either suspend local bodies or make changes.

However, he said, the suspension of the local government will create political problems for the party and so, will make changes if it has the numbers.

He said that after the formation of the provincial government, many PML-N MPAs will support PTI legislation which can make changes easy.

When asked, PTI Rawalpindi President, MPA-elect Ijaz Khan Jazi said the party will make changes in the system in the coming days which, he maintained, is necessary for making real change.

He claimed people were fed up of the present system as union council chairman are powerless and could not do anything. He said the role of legislators will be limited to the assemblies for policy making and will not have anything to do with development funds.

“All the development work will be done through local bodies. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa system will be introduced in Punjab,” he said.

He added that he personally believed that there was no need for changing the system as people are already fed up of PML-N leaders and they will vote against them in the upcoming local government elections in a few years.

A senior PML-N leader told Dawn it will be difficult for PTI to get control of local governments in the districts till the next local government elections in 2020.

“It is premature to say that the PTI can make changes in the local government system as it has failed in achieving the numbers required for the formation of a government yet,” he said.

He said a majority is needed for doing legislation and that if the PTI forms the government, it will be by a thin majority. He said PML-N has the number required to block such a move.

“PTI should respect the people’s mandate in the local government and not get involved in decisions which can create unrest among locals,” he said.

He added that it will be difficult to form a forward block under the Political Parties Act unless more than 60pc form such a block, which is impossible under the current situation.

Published in Dawn, August 9th, 2018