QUETTA: The Baloch­is­tan government decided at a meeting on Wednesday to hold local bodies’ election in the province within 180 days instead of 120 days due to ongoing work on delimitation of constituencies and amendments to the Local Government Act.

Local bodies’ institutions completed their four-year term on Jan 27 in the province and the provincial election commissioner has announced holding of local bodies’ elections within 120 days.

The meeting, presided over by Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan Alyani, discussed the proposed amendment to the Local Government Act and the delimitation process and decided to approach the federal government and Election Commission of Pakistan to resolve all issues before local bodies’ election were held.

Local Government secretary Kambar Dashti briefed the meeting on proposed reforms, delimitation of constituencies and distribution of funds. He informed the meeting that the provincial government had declared an emergency in 18 districts of the province because of the drought and because of this it could not hold LB polls in those areas.

Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal told the meeting that the provincial government wanted to resolve problems of the masses at their door-steps by strengthening local government system and providing them more powers.

Published in Dawn, January 31st, 2019