The Punjab Assembly’s Standing Committee on Local Government has approved the Local Government Bill 2025, paving the way for significant reforms in the province’s local governance system. The bill will now be presented to the full assembly for final approval, as the Punjab government aims to hold local body elections by December this year.
According to Committee Chairman Pir Ashraf Rasool, the new legislation will introduce a restructured local government system with new demarcations of constituencies. The district administration will assist the Election Commission in carrying out the new delimitation process to ensure fair representation.
One of the bill’s key changes is the elimination of the ward system within union councils. Instead, each union council will elect nine members. These newly elected members will be required to join a political party within one month of their election. From among themselves, the nine members will select a chairman and a vice-chairman for their union council.
In addition, the bill outlines a process for allocating reserved seats, though further details on this procedure are expected when the assembly takes up the bill for further discussion and possible enactment. The proposed reforms are designed to streamline local governance and enhance public representation at the grassroots level in Punjab.
