Punjab completes local govt delimitation

10 town corporations proposed for Lahore

LAHORE:

Delimitation for Punjab's new local government system has been completed, paving the way for the formation of town and municipal corporations, municipal committees and tehsil councils.

The new framework under the Punjab Local Government Act 2025 is being introduced as the province prepares for long-delayed elections. Thee Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has agreed in principle to hold the polls between December 15, 2026 and January 15, 2027.

Under the new system, the existing metropolitan corporation, district council and union council ward structures are being replaced with a population-based local government setup.

Town corporations will be established in cities with populations of 700,000 or more under Section 7 of the act. Municipal corporations will cover cities with populations exceeding 200,000, while municipal committees will be established in urban areas with populations between 25,000 and 200,000.

Tehsil councils will be established in rural areas, including portions of semi-urban areas with larger cities.

Based on population, town corporations are proposed for 13 major cities, while tehsil councils will be formed in other districts.

Lahore will have 10 town corporations according to documents. Each town corporation will have a mayor and two deputy mayors under Section 17 of the act, with a deputy mayor also serving as speaker of the town assembly.

The new structure will also give UC chairpersons representation in town corporations as general members. Reserved seats will be allocated for women, non-Muslims, farmers, labourers, technocrats, youth and persons with disabilities.

At the UC level, Section 15 provides for a 13-member house comprising nine elected councillors along with reserved representation for women, youth, labour and minorities.

The population of each union council has been fixed between 22,000 and 31,000 under the new law. The previous 2022 legislation did not prescribe a population ratio for the councils.

The chairperson of a UC will be voted in by the elected councillors.

Lahore will have 10 mayors and 20 deputy mayors under the proposed system. The local government polls will be held on a non-party basis.