LG elections in Punjab on May 15

LAHORE/ISLAMABAD: Minister of Local Government and Community Development Mian Mahmood Ur Rasheed said that a plan has been formulated to finalise the arrangements and the LG polls will be held on May 15.

He further said that government is trying to give powerful system to local governments. Before PTI, no government allowed the local bodies to perform their duties and clipped their wings. “Ministers and lawmakers are doing what is actually job of local representatives,” he added.

On the other hand, local government elections will be held on April 15 in federal capital through electronic voting machines (EVMs).

Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has asked the federal government to provide 3,900 electronic voting machines for the upcoming elections. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan said the government is laying special focus on the development of big cities as the real engines of growth for the national economy.

He expressed these views while chairing a meeting on a plan for big cities.

The prime minister directed the authorities concerned to take all possible measures to clear hiccups in the way of completion of various development schemes in big cities on priority basis in order to provide maximum relief to the residents. The meeting was attended by Information Minister Chaudhry Fawad Hussain, Industries Minister Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar and Planning Minister Asad Umar. Education Minister Shafqat Mehmood, Punjab Governor Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar and Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar joined the meeting via video link, PM Office Media Wing said in a press release.

Owing to rural to urban areas migration, the cities are facing multiple challenges, including scarcity of housing, job opportunities and civic amenities.

It is necessary that work on special development packages for the big cities must be accelerated, the prime minister said during the meeting.

He also directed the authorities to work in close coordination and launch a concerted campaign for the uplift and development of big cities like Karachi, Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi and Gujranwala.