Lahore, May 7, 2025: FAFEN’s Shah Hussain Regional Network (SHRN) conducted a consultative meeting of civil society and local government experts. The meeting was convened by the Chairman of the Local Government Standing Committee on the proposed Punjab Local Government Bill 2025. The event was attended by representatives of civil society organizations, media professionals, political activists, and academic experts.
Mr. Zahid Islam, Executive Director of the Sangat Development Foundation, presented consensus proposals regarding the proposed Punjab Local Government Bill 2025. The meeting unanimously demanded that the Local Government Bill be presented in the Assembly immediately, in accordance with Article 32 and Article 140-A of the Constitution, and that the state fulfil its obligation to establish local governments as stipulated in Article 7.
It was agreed that the group would prepare clause-by-clause recommendations on the proposed bill and submit them to the Standing Committee. The Chairman of the Standing Committee committed to arranging a meeting of the entire committee with two representatives from civil society. He also recommended that similar consultative meetings be conducted in the future.