Strong local govts essential for democratic stability: PA Speaker

Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan on Tuesday highlighted the need for constitutional protection of local governments and efficient devolution of powers to the grassroots, saying strong local institutions were the need of democratic stability and settlement of public issues.

He was the primary guest at the launch event of the Task Force Report on Reforms in Local Governance issued by the BNU Center for Policy Research (BCPR).

“The benefits of democracy cannot reach ordinary citizens without giving sufficient authority and resources to local governments,” the speaker stated.

He pointed out that the local institutions in Pakistan could not play their effective function because of the concentration of powers at the province level.

“The democratic system envisaged under the Constitution of 1973 needs to be completed by strengthening local governments,” he stated.

He said the devolution of powers was not simply an administrative necessity, but an essential element of citizen engagement in governance.

Pakistan’s administrative system still carries vestiges of the colonial system, and it is imperative to make governance more responsive to the demands of the public and let people take meaningful decisions regarding local issues, said Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan.

He added that effective local autonomy and public representation were crucial for national cohesion, adding that empowered local governments could resolve frustrations originating from resource restrictions and a sense of deprivation by resolving public issues closer to the residents.

The speaker added that the members of the different political parties in the Punjab Assembly have collectively participated in the efforts to promote local administration. It was revealed that more than 80 parliamentarians have voluntarily volunteered to be part of the Parliamentary Caucus on Local Governments.