LAHORE, Feb 26: As many as 75 seats of town and union council Nazims, Naib Nazims and councillors are lying vacant in one town and 53 union councils of the city district.
The seats have fallen vacant following the death, removal or resignation of the incumbents after the local body byelections held in August last year. The vacancies will be filled after another byelection to be held by the Election Commission. No programme for the bypolls has been given by it till date.
The seats lying vacant include one seat each of Town Nazim and Naib Nazim, nine seats of union council Nazims and three Naib Nazims, six of Muslim councillors, 21 of Muslim women councillors, six of male peasants/workers councillors, 18 of women peasants/workers and 10 of minority councillors.
Ravi Town has been without its Nazim and Naib Nazim since the resignation of former Nazim Haji Qaiser Amin Butt and Naib Nazim Mujtaba Shujaur Rahman for contesting the general elections. Both of them have been elected MPAs, and the town municipal officer is holding the charge of the town. The town remained without a Nazim for over one month and a half following the murder of Aftab Asghar Dar in July last.
More than one seat is vacant in the following 15 union councils: Bhangali (four seats), Qila Lachhman Singh, Kot Khwaja Saeed, Keer Kalan (three seats each), Bhagatpura, Farooq Ganj, Fatehgarh, Mughalpura, Kamahan, Racecourse, Sanda Kalan, Green Town, Babu Sabu and Begumpura (two seats each).
The vacant posts of union council Nazims include that of the Samanabad Union Council No 106. Former Nazim Mian Aslam Iqbal, who attracted media attention following his altercation with Allama Iqbal Town Nazim Sardar Adil Omar last year, resigned for contesting the general elections for a Punjab Assembly seat and has been sworn in as provincial tourism minister after having won the same.
Eight other union councils without Nazims include those of Qila Lachhman Singh (No 9), Kot Khwaja Saeed (No 22), Mughalpura (No 48), Kasurpura (No 67), Bahawalpur House (No 93), Naseerabad (No 99), Liaqatabad (No 129) and Green Town (No 139).
Three union councils without Naib Nazims include those of Garhi Shahu (No 76), Model Town (No 129) and Green Town (No 139).
One seat of Muslim councillors is lying vacant in each of the following six union councils: Bangali Bagh (No 12), Makhanpura (No 21), Hadiara (No 65), Sarari Sultan (No 74), Keer Kalan (No 138) and Gajomatta (No 145). Twenty-one seats of Muslim women councillors are lying vacant in the following union councils: three seats in Bhangali (No 61), two each in Bhagatpura (No 15) and Racecourse (No 78) and one each in Bhamman (No 14), Begumpura (No 18), Kot Khwaja Saeed (No 22), Farooq Ganj (No 26), Daras Bare Mian (No 32), Muslimabad (No 37), Anarkali (No 72), Riwaz Garden (No 81), Islampura (No 82), Sanda Kalan (No 85), Johar Town (No 116) and Raiwind (No 149).
Six seats of peasants/workers (men) are lying vacant in the following union councils: Qila Lachhman Singh (No 9), Kot Khwaja Saeed (No 22), Daroghawala (No 42), Mughalpura (No 48), Alhamra (No 95) and Keer Kalan (No 138).
Eighteen seats of peasants/workers (women) councillors are vacant in the following union councils: two seats each in Fatehgarh (No 44), Kamahan (No 63) and Babu Sabu (No 90) and one seat each in Bilal Park (No 20), Makhanpura (No 21), Mohammad Colony (No 35), Rashidpura (No 43), Nabipura (No 45), Bhangali (No 61), Sanda Kalan (No 85), Sanda Khurd (No 86), Maraka (No 12), Garden Town (No 126) and Keer Kalan (138).
One minority councillors seat is vacant in each of the following 10 union councils: Qila Lachhman Singh (No 4), Banagali Bagh (No 9), Begumpura (No 18), Farooq Ganj (No 26), Rang Mahal (No 28), Railway Colony (No 31), Ameen Park (No 68), New Samanabad (No 101) and Sabzazar (No 112).