Local government: Sana says law in 6 months, elections to follow
Provincial government to seek phone tapping powers for Punjab Police.
Minister for Local Government Rana Sanaullah Khan PHOTO: PPI/FILE
LAHORE:
Minister for Local Government Rana Sanaullah Khan said on Wednesday that the Punjab Local Government Ordinance 2001 will be reintroduced in the current session of the assembly.
He said in six months’ time a new local government law will be introduced. The local government elections will be held under the new law.
The budget session will continue till June 29.
Asked whether local government elections would be held on party basis, he said the House would make that decision. Khan said it had been suggested that the elections for councillors be held on non party basis and those for mayors be held on party basis.
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, he said, believed that holding elections on party basis would unnecessarily politicise the local governments.
Law and order
Khan also discussed the changes the government planned on introducing in the criminal justice system. The government will recruit “new, young and highly qualified officers” as investigation officers. They will be supported by the Forensic Science Laboratory, he said. “Investigation through torture will be discouraged.”
Other proposed changes include revising the process of FIR registration. He did not elaborate.
Transfers for political considerations will not be allowed, the law minister said. This, he said, would give officials the confidence to perform their duties without fear or favour.
Officials guilty of corruption or negligence would be punished, said Khan. A mere transfer won’t do.
He said in the last five years the Punjab Police had requested the federal government several times that it be provided the technology to track mobile phones. The central government had never agreed. The request would be made once again that the power be delegated to the provincial police.
Asked about corruption cases against President Asif Ali Zardari, Khan said an ‘independent accountability bureau’ would investigate all corruption cases against political leaders.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 20th, 2013.
Minister for Local Government Rana Sanaullah Khan said on Wednesday that the Punjab Local Government Ordinance 2001 will be reintroduced in the current session of the assembly.
He said in six months’ time a new local government law will be introduced. The local government elections will be held under the new law.
The budget session will continue till June 29.
Asked whether local government elections would be held on party basis, he said the House would make that decision. Khan said it had been suggested that the elections for councillors be held on non party basis and those for mayors be held on party basis.
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, he said, believed that holding elections on party basis would unnecessarily politicise the local governments.
Law and order
Khan also discussed the changes the government planned on introducing in the criminal justice system. The government will recruit “new, young and highly qualified officers” as investigation officers. They will be supported by the Forensic Science Laboratory, he said. “Investigation through torture will be discouraged.”
Other proposed changes include revising the process of FIR registration. He did not elaborate.
Transfers for political considerations will not be allowed, the law minister said. This, he said, would give officials the confidence to perform their duties without fear or favour.
Officials guilty of corruption or negligence would be punished, said Khan. A mere transfer won’t do.
He said in the last five years the Punjab Police had requested the federal government several times that it be provided the technology to track mobile phones. The central government had never agreed. The request would be made once again that the power be delegated to the provincial police.
Asked about corruption cases against President Asif Ali Zardari, Khan said an ‘independent accountability bureau’ would investigate all corruption cases against political leaders.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 20th, 2013.