Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Saturday that Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf believes in transfer of powers to grass-root level, “which is only possible by strengthening the local government system, Radio Pakistan reported.

Chairing a meeting in Islamabad regarding the local government system, the premier said, “Empowered people in a local government system can be the best form of the government.”

PM Khan said people should be allowed to take decisions on their own, which was only possible by ensuring a strong local government system in the country.

He said a revised local government system will be made functional based on the governance pattern implemented in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

“People will be strengthened by empowering the local bodies,” the prime minister said.

Earlier this month, PM Khan had constituted a committee to recommend within a week a proposal for a new local government structure that will be scrutinised and presented before the provincial assemblies to initiate the required legislation process within a month.

While presiding over a meeting at PM Office, PM Khan had said that new laws must be prepared so that they could be enforced in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa — the provinces where his PTI has its government. Sindh, where the PPP has its government, and Balochistan, where a BAP-led coalition is in power, would be asked to enforce the new LG system under Article 140-A of the Constitution, he had said.

The prime minister had been of the view that the transfer of power at the grassroots level and people’s empowerment in the real sense was the main plank of PTI’s agenda of reforms. PM Khan had said the past practice of centralisation of power had deprived the people of any meaningful say in government affairs.