THE Punjab government has announced that local bodies’ elections will be held on a non-party basis. The Punjab cabinet has also approved the Punjab Local Government Bill 2012.

It looks that the PML-N’s Punjab government is afraid of Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf, which seems to be the main reason behind the move to conduct local bodies elections on a non-party basis.

Elections on a non-party basis provide an opportunity to contestants to blackmail political parties as by winning seats they demand huge money from political parties to join their team.

The general elections of 1985 in Pakistan were on a non-party basis and that experience was a bad one for Pakistan.

MUBASHIR MAHMOOD Karachi