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CE to announce

LB polls framework on 23rd: Umer

RECORDER REPORT

LAHORE: The Chief Executive, Gen. Pervez Musharraf will announce the policy framework on March 23 for holding of local bodies polls in the country. This was disclosed by minister for local bodies and rural development, Umer Asghar Khan, while talking to reporters here on Sunday.

He said that meetings to formulate the policy framework were in progress and elections would he held by the end of the year. He said that work was also continuing on removing the flaws and anomalies in the voters' lists, and added that loan defaulters, tax evaders and the corrupt would not be allowed to take part in the elections.

WAGE BOARD

In reply to a question about the constitution of seventh wage board for journalists Umer said he had talked to the owners of the newspapers in this regard, and they had assured him of early nomination of their representatives. "As soon as we receive the nominations from them, the announcement of the seventh wage board will be mad," he said and added that the government had already appointed its representatives, while the nominations from the journalists' side had also been received.