Committees formed to ensure LG polls

Sources say bodies to carry out demarcation of new constituencies

RAWALPINDI:

In order to conduct the local body elections within the stipulated time frame, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has decided to constitute district election committees.

According to sources privy to the development, district election commissioners will be appointed as conveners of these committees.

Sources further said these committees will include senior officers as representatives of the Ministry of Local Government, Treasury Department and the deputy commissioner.

These committees will be responsible for the demarcations of new constituencies in the metropolitan corporation, municipal corporation, district council, union councils, and village councils under the new Local Government System Act 2022, they said.

In a major development, sources said a new district council has also been established in the newly-formed tourist district of Murree.

With this decision, the total number of district councils in Punjab has increased to 39, sources said, adding that new district councils have also been formed in the other new districts of Talagang and Kot Addu.

The competent authority has sought details of population, demarcation and maps of the new constituencies of the district council, metropolitan and municipal corporation, and all seven units of Rawalpindi district, sources informed.

In this regard, the demarcation of new constituencies will be completed by December 31, they said.

At present, there are 98 union councils in the metropolitan corporation apart from 24 union councils of other urban areas of Rawalpindi, as per official statistics.

On the other hand, there are 106 village councils in every district council, the sources said, adding that the total number of village and union councils is around 288.

The total population of Rawalpindi’s urban areas is said to be around 2.4 million whereas the total population of its rural areas is over 1.5 million, informed the sources.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, November 27^th, 2022.