ISLAMABAD   -   Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf is all set to bring major organisational changes within its ranks as the party eyes next local bodies election throughout the country. The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has recently amended the party constitution that will be announced on May 1 when Prime Minister Imran Khan will address a large gathering at Islamabad’s Jinnah Convention Centre to commemorate the party’s 3rd foundation day.

An officer-bearer of the PTI’s Central Secretariat told The Nation that PTI after the approval of its revised constitution from the party’s highest level policy-making body was all set to make major organisational changes within the party at the central, provincial and grassroots level. In the revised constitution, we have introduced sunset clauses to make new appointments for the office-bearers of the party at all level including that of union council, tehsil and district level, he said.

“The major purpose of the revision of constitution and make changes in the organisational structure of the party is to go into the next local bodies election into full gear,” he said adding that party activists are expecting better performance from the party in next local bodies election because it is in power in the centre, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The PTI governments in Punjab and KP are making efforts to bring in new local government laws in both the provinces under which new local bodies election would be held.

According to the PTI office0bearer, the fresh appointments on all party positions would be a stopgap arrangement to go for the local bodies election till next intra-party elections of PTI were not held.

The draft of the revised party constitution proposes establishment of federal election commission that on the pattern of National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) will be custodian of the party membership as well as all data belonging to party. The commission will be responsible to make all necessary decision to field the party candidates in any kind of election. It will be headed by an “independent person and not belonging to any group within the party.”

According the draft constitution, there will be a Standing Committee on Accountability and Discipline (SCAD) at the party level that will not be an elected body.

SCAD will be responsible to maintain discipline within party ranks as the amended constitution provides details of violation and their penalties. Any matter of party discipline will be referred to SCAD and it will be powered to investigate and make finding on the violations. Once SCAD would determine that violation has been committed, a penalty will be imposed on the violator.

The revised constitution also gives a complete training program for the members to prepare them on ideological basis. Non-constituency cadre is being introduced within the party for the first time and all four provincial heads of the party, heads of Gilgit Baltistan and Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK) and secretary general will belong to that cadre. They will not be entitled to apply for any ticket for the general election, the draft proposes.

Information Secretary Omar Sarfraz Cheema Saturday in a statement said that provincial governments of Punjab and KP were in the process of for introducing new local government systems in the provinces. “It is the fulfilment of the promise made by PTI in its manifesto.”

He said that local government systems used to play a crucial role in addressing the problems faced by masses and provision of justice at the door-step. “Under the new LG system, urban areas will be administered through tehsil and city councils while in rural areas, village and neighbourhood councils will be constituted”, he said.

Prime Minister Imran Khan, Cheema said, has a clear and shrewd understanding regarding the local bodies and believed it to be an integral part of empowering the people at grassroots level. “We are looking forward for more innovation in the LG system”, he continued.

He added that PTI was striving to devolve the power where it should belong: the people of Pakistan. He marked that a strong local government system strengthened the political infrastructure and would help in fair distribution of resources and address the issue of exploitation on regional basis.