Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Farrukh Habib has said that the government will soon implement a new local government system to run major cities of the country.

Talking to a private news channel on Sunday, Habib said that the local government will help address the basic needs of the people.

He added that the transfer of power to the grassroots level and people’s empowerment in a real sense is the priority agenda of the PTI government.

SC restores local govt system in Punjab

The minister also criticised the past rulers for restricting power to their families.

He said three years back when the PTI came to power, the economy was in shambles, but now economic policies of the present government are showing positive results with far-reaching public welfare impacts.

Earlier in March, the Supreme Court ordered the restoration of local government institutions in the province after declaring their dissolution as unconstitutional.

A three-judge SC bench, headed by Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed had taken up a petition moved by Asad Ali Khan through his counsel Mohammad Nawazish Ali Pirzada challenging the dissolution of the local government (LG) institutions with a plea that the elected members were entitled to complete their constitutional term that will expire on December 31, 2021.

Public issues: Govt to implement Local Govt system in cities, says PM

In light of the SC verdict, the PML-N demanded the government to restore the local government in the province.

The PML-N lawmakers warned the PTI-led government against committing contempt of court by not restoring the local government. They said 58,000 elected representatives of the people were inactive for the last two years as the government had neither introduced a new local body system nor did it allow the previous one to work.