KARACHI, March 3: Speakers at a seminar here on Monday stressed the need for strengthening the existing local government system and making it more responsive to public demands by delegating more powers to the councillors at union council level.
They criticized the attempts being made to sabotage the system and urged the government to give it constitutional cover in order to ensure its continuity in the future.
The seminar, titled Dangers being faced by local government system, was organized by Qaumi Jamhoori Party at the PMA House. The party’s chief, Air Marshal (r) Mohammad Asghar Khan, was the chief guest.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr Khan said, “Local government set up is an important institution meant for solving people’s problems at grass-roots level. Such a system exists in all the developed countries.”
Tracing the history of the system in the subcontinent, the QJP leader recalled that it was first introduced by the British rulers to allow the people to manage their local affairs by themselves.
However, he said, after the creation of Pakistan, vested interests did not allow the system to flourish and as a result, people’s problems remained unresolved and increased manifold. He said it was for this reason that his party had welcomed the military government’s initiative of reintroducing the system.
Mr Khan said that efforts must be made to make the district governments more powerful. He suggested that town and union councils be given financial and administrative powers in order to enable them redress people’s grievances effectively.
He severly criticized the forces out to sabotage the system and called for all out efforts to counter their moves. He said that such seminars should be organized to mobilize public opinion and a massive campaign be launched to protect the system.
Earlier, Yusuf Mustikhan of the Pakistan Workers Party, in his speech, defended the local bodies system and stressed the need to streamline it on sound footings.
He said: “it is irony that whenever civilian rule is restored, no attempt is made to introduce local body system. Such an institution is always introduced by military rulers and dismantled by civilian rulers.” He accused the feudal leadership of being behind the destruction of the system as it did not suit their interest.
Mr Mustikhan said that the country’s sovereignty had always remained the real issue but never resolved.
“We have always supported the idea that powers must be transferred to people, from federation to local government through provinces,” he said.
Among others who spoke at the seminar were Iftikhar Ahmed Shah of Pakistan Awami Tehreek, Karamat Butt of the Pillar , Nazim of Jamshed Town and labour councillors from Baldia, Orangi, Site and Keamari.
In a resolution adopted at the seminar, they pledged to continue their efforts to protect the system despite all odds. They urged the government to provide better facilities to the elected representatives in local government.
They criticized the assembly members and bureaucracy for pursuing secret moves and resorting to blackmailing in order to get the system abolished. They urged the government not to give in to their pressure.
Instead, the resolution said, efforts should be made to remove all hurdles being created to weaken the system. It also called for curtailing powers given to police force.
