• Consultative session calls for stronger constitutional, administrative and financial autonomy for local governments
• Notes financial dependence on provincial grants and PFC funds limits effectiveness of local bodies

QUETTA: Participants of a consultative session on local government autonomy, including senior local bodies officers, political leaders, members of civil society and media representatives, said that parliamentarians were the main hurdle in making the local bodies institutions autonomous and ensuring sufficient funds for development.

The Health and Rural Development (HARD), with the support of Awaz Centre for Development Services, organised a consultative session with stakeholders and an advocacy panel to discuss the constitutional, administrative, financial, and political autonomy of local governments in Balochistan.

Balo­chistan’s Addi­tional Secretary forLocal Government Farooq Tareen said local governments manage municipal services such as water supply, sanitation, waste management, street lighting and maintenance of local roads through district councils, municipal committees and union councils. He noted that while administrative autonomy allows local representatives to address community needs, the provincial bureaucracy still holds significant control.

M Ali Satakzai, Chief Officer Local Gover­nment, highlighted that local governments can prepare their own budgets and development plans. However, financial resources mainly come through the Provincial Finance Commission (PFC) and provincial grants, making local bodies largely dependent on provincial funding.

PPP’s Sakina Abdullah emphasised that local governments strengthen grassroots democracy by allowing citizens to elect mayors, chairmen, and councillors.

She said political participation and accountability improve through regular elections, alth­ough provincial interference and delays in holding elections often wea­ken political autonomy.

Balochistan Union of Journalists (BUJ) Pre­sident Manzoor Ahmed said the 18th Cons­titutional Ame­ndment placed greater responsibility on provinces to establish effective local government systems and promote decentralisation of power to elected local bodies.

Senior journalist Shahid Yousafzai raised concerns about misuse of authority, including mismanagement of development funds, nepotism in appointments and non-transparent awarding of contracts. He stressed that weak monitoring and lack of transparency allow corruption to continue in some local government institutions.

He said that parliamentarians were also hurdle in strengthening local bodies and ensuring their autonomy, as they preferred to utilise development funds through MPA funds instead of empowering local governments.

National Commission on the Rights of the Child’s Advocate A Hayee discussed the Safa Quetta Project, aimed at improving waste management in Quetta. He noted that although door-to-door garbage collection has started in some sectors, the project still does not cover many areas of the city.

Participants stressed the need for stronger autonomy, transparency and accountability to ensure effective local governance and improved service delivery in Balochistan.

Published in Dawn, March 17th, 2026