LAHORE: Punjab local government and community development department secretary Noorul Amin Mengal says the Election Commission of Pakistan’s statement before the Supreme Court that the Punjab government did not inform it before amending the Local Government Act 2019 “is contrary to the facts”.

Briefing a meeting of Chief Minister’s Special Committee on Local Government Act 2019, held under the chairmanship of senior minister Abdul Aleem Khan at chief minister’s secretariat on Wednesday, Mr Mengal said the fact was the law minister, chief secretary and local government department secretary had appeared before the ECP twice on behalf of the Punjab government and informed the commission that the Punjab government wanted to amend the Punjab Local Government Act 2019. It was acknowledged by the commission in the minutes of its meetings, he claimed.

The special committee stated the minutes of meetings issued by the ECP had automatically refuted its statement in the Supreme Court.

The committee expressed its “grave concern” that the ECP had weakened the Punjab government’s position by making a contradictory statement before the Supreme Court. “Had the facts been placed before the honourable court, it would not have passed the remarks about Punjab that were made in the hearing on March 15,” a committee member said.

The meeting was attended by provincial ministers Basharat Raja, Mian Mahmoodur Rasheed and Chaudhry Zaheeruddin.

Published in Dawn, March 18th, 2021