LAHORE – The Punjab government has decided to hold local body elections in September this year as preparations for the polls set to begin soon.
Reports said new educational qualification requirements have also been set for candidates contesting in the local body elections.
A minimum qualification of a Bachelor’s degree has been made mandatory for the position of chairman, intermediate (FA) for vice chairman, and matriculation for the position of councillor.
Under the proposed new Local Government Act 2025, district councils have been abolished, and the powers of the bureaucracy have been significantly increased.
In February 2025, Jamaat-e-Islami Lahore Ameer Ziauddin Ansari filed a petition in Lahore High Court against delay in Punjab local body elections.
The petitioner had argued that, according to the Constitution of Pakistan, failure to conduct local government elections undermines the spirit of accountability and local self-governance.
The petition stated that the absence of local body elections has led to a lack of local responsibility. It further claimed that the delay in holding these elections has resulted in administrative chaos, misallocation of resources, and stalled development.
The petition argued that the delay in local elections has empowered feudal elites while further weakening the already marginalized segments of society.
The petitioner had requested the court take an action against the government for failing to conduct local body polls.
