LAHORE: The Punjab government is reportedly going to extend the tenure of administrators of local governments, confirming the general view that it is not interested in holding local elections.

Reliable sources told Dawn on Tuesday that the local government department had prepared draft of amendment to the Local Government Ordinance 2001 so as to extend the tenure of the administrators for another six months or most probably one year.

The provincial government had dissolved local councils, and provided for the appointment of administrators in place of nazims by introducing Article 179-A in the Local Government Ordinance 2001. The article was inserted in the law through an amendment bill passed by the Punjab Assembly. The period was extended for another year in October last year which officials said was expiring next month.

Sources said that draft of the new bill aimed at further extending the period would first be approved by the provincial cabinet and then tabled in the assembly for adoption in its next session expected to be held next month.

The Punjab government has been declaring from the very outset its desire to do away with the local government system introduced by Gen Musharraf and replace it with a new system of local councils on the pattern of the one introduced by Gen Zia in 1979. However, it will retain to some extent the element of devolution as it was mandatory under the Constitution.

A draft of the new system was prepared by former local government minister Dost Khosa and his team of officials but it was ultimately rejected even though it was thoroughly debated at the official and public fora.

Later, the chief minister constituted a core team headed by MNA Zahid Hamid which worked on a new draft in closed door meetings.

Sources said that the committee had submitted its draft to the chief minister many months ago but the matter of new elections and their mode was still a top secret.

They said the new move to extend the tenure of the administrators was a clear indication that the provincial government wanted to control the local councils through administrative chain till the expiry of its own term after around one and a half years, and was not serious in holding the next elections on two main grounds -- conditions are not suitable for them or the PML-N is not in a position to win.