ISLAMABAD: National Assembly Secretariat (NAS) on Thursday organised the first-ever consultative session on ‘Strengthening Local Governments in Pakistan’ which emphasised the need for devolution of powers from provinces to the grossroots level.

The discussion focused on strengthening Article 140-A of the Constitution and to create awareness among parliamentarians regarding the importance of empowering local governments and reinforcing the role and continuity of local governing bodies.

There was a consensus among the participants that local governments could become effective only when they are provided with fiscal and administrative autonomy, which could be achieved through constitutional mandates.

The event was attended by members of the Parliament representing various political parties, along with members from civil society. The meeting was co-chaired by Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal, and Ms Romina Khursheed Alam, convener of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Secretariat in the NA. Others who attended the session were: Mohsin Dawar (Chairman, Foreign Relations Committee), Mehnaz Akbar Aziz (federal parliamentary secretary for law), Sabir Kaim Khani, Kishwar Zahra, Zahra Wadood Fatemi, Samina Matloob, Nisar Cheema, Khalid Warraich, Shahida Rehman, Shahida Akhtar Ali, Rubina Khalid, Shaista Pervaiz Malik, Saira Bano, Khursheed Ahmad Junejo, Aslam Khan Boohtani and Dr Nafisa Shah.

Speakers say awareness must be created regarding importance of powerful local govts

Speaking on the occasion, Ahmad Iqbal, former chairman district council and project director of an NGO Dehleez, presented a compelling case for amending the Constitution and addressing the fundamental problem of continuity by incorporating sections in Article 140-A to safeguard the tenure of local governments and ensuring timely elections.

“The absence of strong local governments in the country has caused implications for the citizens’ quality of life. Pakistan’s current ranking of 125 out of 163 (23rd percentile) on the SDG Index reflects the urgency to improve the local governance system and overcome the deficiencies in various indicators,” he added.

Ahmad Iqbal elucidated the key points of the draft amendment bill, which primarily aimed to rectify the root cause of weak local governments, namely irregular elections and lack of continuity.

The proposed amendment includes a clause to protect the tenure of elected local governments and mandates the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to conduct elections within 90 days of the expiration of their term.

He emphasised the empowerment of local governments as the unfinished business of the Charter of Democracy (2006), signed by two former prime ministers--Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif, as well as the 18th Amendment (2010).

Ahasm Iqbal expressed strong support from himself and his party for empowered local governments and vowed to standby any legislation that would strengthen the role of local governments.

Mohsin Dawar, stressed the need for devolving powers to the local governments by provincial governments. He also highlighted the need for district-wise finance commission awards to ensure fiscal spending is devolved to the grassroots level.

Mehnaz Akbar Aziz stressed the urgent requirement to transfer power and functions from a centralised system to a localised system.

Kishwar Zahra urged for a revisit of Article 239(4) and supported the need for a Constitutional Amendment to empower local governments.

Khalid Warraich, called for the immediate holding of local government elections and emphasised the importance of empowering local governments financially by granting them control over functions such as tax collection.

Published in Dawn, June 23rd, 2023