August-September 2021 | THE partner of LEAD for SDGs programme and a member of UCLG ASPAC, “Association for Development of Local Governance (ADLG) in Pakistan” held several consultative meetings with the leadership of key political parties including Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Muslim League (PML-Q), Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PKMAP), Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) and Awami National Party (ANP) during August and September 2021. The members of Local council associations were also part of these advocacy and lobbying meetings.
The main objective of these consultative meetings was to ensure a uniform and sustainable local government system in Pakistan. These meetings were mainly arranged to explore different options to strengthen the local governments in the country because local governments are considered the key stakeholders in achieving the SDGs. The prime focus of these consultations was to implement the recent decision taken by the Supreme Court of Pakistan to restore the local governments in Punjab province.
In this regard, Mr. Mehmood Ur Rasheed, Minister for Local Governments Punjab, PTI suggested LEAD for SDGs programme to review and update the Punjab Local Government (LG) Act 2019 to make it more comprehensive, transparent and result-oriented. He highlighted the importance of local governments while endorsing the fact that the local governance system makes the public service delivery process more efficient and effective believing that the local elected representatives have a better understanding of local issues and they are more connected to their people at the community level. He suggested removing the bureaucratic control over the local governments thus making them more empowered and authoritative in all their decisions.
Ch Muhammad Aslam Gill, senior Vice President PPP, Punjab requested LEAD for SDGs programme to organise capacity building trainings for the local governments’ officials on the legal framework of local governments. These trainings are expected to enable them to understand the recently developed Acts and equip them to implement those laws in their true letter and spirit. It was decided in the consultative meeting that PPPP will form a technical working group to review and improve the local government system in the province.
Mr. Inayatullah khan, Member Provincial Assembly and ex-local government Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) discussed the prevalence of fragile democracy in Pakistan since its inception. Unfortunately, the local government elections were mostly held during the military regime in the history of Pakistan despite their integral part of any democratic system, he argued. He endorsed that local governments are the representatives of the local people living in the community settings. They are better equipped with indigenous knowledge and relevant understating about the local issues which ultimately ensure in making the public service delivery effective and efficient through equitable distribution of resources besides giving local people the sense of ownership. In concluding remarks, Mr. Inayat said that there is a dire need to remove provincial indirect control over local bodies to make them more authoritative and empowered.
Mr. Jan Muhammad Buledi, General Secretary of National Party Balochistan, highlighted the need to establish such a local government system where they have financial, administrative, and political powers because local governments are critical in planning, implementing, monitoring, reporting and achieving SDGs. Representatives of PK MAP party committed to table a resolution in favour of local governments in the Balochistan Assembly.
Mr. Mehmood Ur Rasheed, Minister for Local Government, Punjab Province, discussed devising amendments in Punjab Local Government Act, 2019. The amendments include but are not limited to curtailing undue powers of the district level bureaucracy in the local government system and empowering the local elected representatives.
Provincial Minister for Renewable Energy, Punjab Mr. Akhtar Hussain Malik underpinned the importance of local democracy in ensuring improved social service delivery. He promised to raise his voice at all levels essentially at the federal level while discussing the matter with the Prime Minister of Pakistan.
Mr. Ameer Haider Khan Hoti MNA, Ex Chief Minister KP and central acting president Awami National Party, agreed to get a resolution passed from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assembly in line with the recent judgment of the Supreme Court for restoration of local governments in Punjab. Mr. Hoti appreciated the efforts of LEAD for the SDGs programme and assured that they will definitely cooperate and support the sustainably of the local government system in Pakistan at the Parliamentary level and will also liaise with other political parties on this matter.
LEAD programme is funded by the EU and implemented by UCLG ASPAC.
