LAHORE: The Punjab government has appointed Assistant Commissioners as tehsil demarcation officers for the demarcation of constituencies ahead of the local government elections.
Additionally, commissioners will be responsible for hearing appeals related to demarcation decisions and must resolve these appeals within four days. This information was shared during a meeting chaired by Punjab Local Government Minister Zeeshan Rafique on Tuesday to review the ongoing process of constituency demarcation.
The meeting was attended by Punjab Local Government Secretary Shakeel Ahmed Mian, Special Secretary Arshad Baig, Local Government Director General Ahmed Kamal Maan, and Additional Secretary Quratul Ain, while Deputy Commissioners participated via video link.
During the meeting, the minister urged Deputy Commissioners to strictly adhere to the rules and complete the demarcation process within the specified timeline. He explained that, under the new Local Government Act, town corporations and tehsil councils will be established for the first time.
He indicated that town corporations would be formed in cities with populations exceeding 700,000 to address local issues better and ensure the timely completion of development projects, as funds would be transferred directly to these corporations. Town corporations will be established in Lahore, Bahawalpur, Multan, Rawalpindi, Sialkot, Sargodha, and Faisalabad. He also mentioned that Murree will be granted the status of a municipal corporation despite its smaller population.
The minister further instructed Deputy Commissioners to propose names for the municipal bodies after the demarcation process is completed and emphasised the importance of finishing the process within the specified timeframe. Following the demarcation, the Election Commission will undertake the delimitation process.
During the meeting, the Punjab local government secretary remarked that the tehsil demarcation officers would also delineate the boundaries for each municipal body and stressed that all actions must comply with the rules approved by the provincial cabinet.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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