LAHORE: Law Minister Basharat Raja says the Punjab government is ready to hold local body (LB) elections in accordance with the time schedule given to the Lahore High Court and the Election Commission of Pakistan.

The process of delimitation and transition is in progress.

Speaking at a reception hosted in honour of the delegation comprising parliamentarians of the four provincial assemblies at civil secretariat on Thursday, the law minister briefed the parliamentarians about the new Punjab local bodies system.

Mr Raja said the new LG system would bring about a real change because through neighborhood councils and panchayats, local bodies would be established at every neighbourhood and village level. In the new LG system, he said, the mayor would be able to control development institutions independently.

The law minister also told the delegation that the Punjab Assembly passed 18 bills to do record legislation in its first year while 23 other important bills were in the pipeline for approval.

He said peace and human rights protection situation in Punjab was satisfactory and added that women protection centers would be set up in every district to prevent violence against women and rehabilitate the affected women.

“Effective legislation is ensuring the protection of the rights of the special persons and the marginalized classes of society,” he said.

Published in Dawn, November 15th, 2019