The provincial cabinet of Khyber Pakhtunkhawa Wednesday approved amendments to Local Government Act, 2013, Ehtesab Commission Act, 2014 and legislation for the regularisation of Global Alliance of Vaccination and Immunisation (GAVI). The cabinet meeting was held here with Chief Minister Pervez Khattak in the chair. The meeting was attended by provincial ministers and administrative secretaries of various departments.
The cabinet approved an amendment to Khyber Pakhtunkhawa Local Government Act 2013 under which Nazim District Council has been made Nazim District Government while the election of Nazim and Naib Nazim will be held on the basis of majority in the total members of the council and in case of not getting vote on the basis of majority, the second round of election will be held between the first and runner-up of the first round and those who got majority vote will be considered Nazim and Naib Nazim.
The process of election will be held for three times within a period of three weeks and in case of none of the candidates proved his or her majority even in three weeks the concerned district, Tehsil or town council will get dissolved automatically. Furthermore, the Provincial Minister for Local Government, who was earlier only member of the Finance Commission will be now chairman of the commission.
The cabinet after a detailed review also approved some amendments to Ehtesab Commission Act, 2014. Under these amendments, the Act will now commence from January 1, 2004 retrospectively and these amendments will also be implemented from the same day. Under the new amendments, no subordinate judiciary will have the power to grant bail or make cut in the punishment of any convicted persons. However, high court and Supreme Court are not included in it.
Similarly, under this Act the government could declare any place and venue as police station, besides in case of urgent necessity under which immediate action is required, the Director General or any authorised officer could be allowed to declare any place or police station as sub-jail for the purpose of better investigation and meeting of the requirements of justice. Under the Act, the court would be bound to decide any case within three months and will not adjourn the proceeding of any case for more than one week.