If left to the political parties, local government polls will never be held
ISLAMABAD: Three provincial governments are, unfortunately, delaying local government polls to restrict the benefits of democracy to only the privileged sections of society despite the clear provision in the Constitution for the establishment of these governments and the directives of the Supreme Court. Denying the people their right to have local governments becomes a criminal act given the repercussions of leaving the matters pertaining to health, education and other basic needs of society with far off centres of power.
The matter has become so urgent that it cannot be further delayed as local governments are about socioeconomic growth and have relevance to the peace and stability of Pakistan. If left to the political parties, local government polls will never be held, given the authoritarian decision-making structures preferred by the people currently in power. The Supreme Court should act decisively and should make the devolution of power to the grassroots level a priority so as to break the vicious cycle of poverty and lawlessness that the people are suffering in the name of democracy.
Riaz Missen
Published in The Express Tribune, March 10th, 2015.
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