Civil society urges Punjab to hold long-delayed lo...

Summary

• LAHORE: Civil society organisations have urged the Punjab government and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to ensure timely local government elections, warning that prolonged delays are weakening grassroots democracy and keeping citizens away from important local decision-making processes.
• The demand was raised during an emergency meeting of the Coalition for the Restoration of Elected Local Government System in Punjab and the Board of Directors of Baidarie.
• Punjab has remained without elected local councils since December 2021, when the terms of its previous local governments expired.

AI Generated Summary

LAHORE: Civil society organisations have urged the Punjab government and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to ensure timely local government elections, warning that prolonged delays are weakening grassroots democracy and keeping citizens away from important local decision-making processes.

The demand was raised during an emergency meeting of the Coalition for the Restoration of Elected Local Government System in Punjab and the Board of Directors of Baidarie. Participants called for immediate steps to restore elected local councils and strengthen public service delivery across the province.

Arshad Mirza said timely elections were essential for democratic continuity and effective governance, arguing that empowered local institutions could resolve community-level problems more efficiently by bringing decision-making closer to citizens.