LAHORE, July 11: The Punjab PPP executive committee at a meeting here on Monday authorized its district boards to make adjustments for local elections with various opposition parties, including the MMA. A meeting held under the chairmanship of Mr Qasim Zia expressed dissatisfaction over the arrangements for local elections. Provincial information secretary Naveed Chaudhry told reporters after the meeting that the government was claiming to have completed arrangements for the elections but at the same time no code of conduct had been issued.

He said in the Local Government Ordinance it had been mentioned in very clear terms that ministers and legislators could not take part in the local elections without first resigning their offices. But, he said, the Election Commission had allowed them to contest the polls retaining their positions.

The meeting also set up a committee to monitor the local elections. It would comprise Naveed Chaudhry, Altaf Qureshi, Azma Zahid Bukhari, Munir Ahmed Khan and Raja Zulqernain.