'LG neglect weakened civilian rule'

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Saturday acknowledged that Pakistan's political parties had consistently sidelined local governments despite their proven role in strengthening grassroots politics, warning that this neglect had weakened civilian rule itself.

Speaking at a panel discussion titled "Devolution for Revolution" during ThinkFest, the defence minister argued that the failure to institutionalise empowered local bodies was not accidental but a consequence of political choices made over time.

The session was attended by Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) Vice Chancellor Ali Cheema, former State Bank governor Dr Ishrat Hussain and former MPA Mary James Gill.

Reflecting on Pakistan's political history, Asif noted that three military rulers namely Ayub Khan, Ziaul Haq and Pervez Musharraf, remained in power longer than any civilian government largely because they introduced local government systems and derived political legitimacy and strength from them.

He conceded that the inability of civilian governments to do the same amounted to "a political failure on our part".

He pointed out that local government elections, whenever they had been held, were historically far less controversial than national polls. "Yet we have continued to avoid them," he said, expressing regret over the persistent reluctance to devolve power.

Asif recalled that local bodies had been included in the Charter of Democracy signed by the PPP and PML-N in 2006.

However, the commitment failed to secure adequate space in the 18th Constitutional Amendment, even though most other agreed reforms were incorporated. He added that resistance to empowering the grassroots tier largely stemmed from the bureaucracy, which feared losing authority to elected representatives.

The discussion then turned to constitutional and fiscal reforms, with former State Bank governor Dr Ishrat Hussain noting that while the 18th Amendment clearly delineated the roles of federal and provincial governments, it failed to properly define the functions and powers of local governments.

"This ambiguity continues to create political and administrative friction," he said.

Dr Hussain argued that the Amendment should have included provisions for a provincial finance commission to directly channel funds to underdeveloped areas within provinces.

Strong local governments, he added, would not only improve development efficiency but could also "generate their own revenue by improving tax collection and identifying new income sources".

He further said that if institutions such as the Lahore Development Authority, the Water and Sanitation Agency and other civic bodies were placed under the authority of an elected mayor, municipal administrations would become financially stronger and more self-sustaining.