LAHORE: The Cabinet Division has scheduled the second meeting of the high-powered Committee to Review Existing Laws and Recommend Measures to Enhance the Legal, Regulatory, Administrative, and Operational Effectiveness of District Administrations for
Better Governance and Service Delivery for October 8, to be held at the Law
and Justice Division, Islamabad. The session will be chaired by the Federal Minister for Law and Justice, underscoring the government’s resolve to strengthen district-level governance through comprehensive legal and institutional reforms.
According to an official communication, a copy of which is available with The News, the meeting has been rescheduled from October 9 to October 8 and will review progress made since the committee’s first sitting held on September 10, 2025. The agenda includes evaluation of legal provisions governing district administration, assessment of magisterial powers, and discussion on the coordination between administrative officers and elected local governments.
All provincial chief secretaries and senior officials from Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK) have been directed to furnish written views and recommendations on a set of seven key questions circulated earlier by the division. These questions seek to clarify the extent of magisterial powers granted to executive officers, the statutory or executive basis for such powers, and the degree of oversight District Commissioners (DCs) exercise over line departments such as education, health, and public works. Additionally, the committee will examine the relationship between DCs and local government representatives, their formal role in maintaining public order, linkages with the judiciary, and participation in local development projects.
The Cabinet Division has requested that all concerned ministries and departments brief the committee on the progress of assigned tasks and share relevant legal or administrative updates. The meeting aims to consolidate provincial inputs into a coherent reform framework that enhances the operational capacity of district administrations, particularly in law enforcement coordination, service delivery, and developmental oversight.
The communication has been circulated to key stakeholders including the Secretaries of Law and Justice, Establishment, Cabinet, Interior, and Parliamentary Affairs Divisions, along with the Law Ministries and Law Secretaries of all provinces. Additional instructions have been issued to arrange refreshments and a Zoom link for remote participation, ensuring broad and inclusive deliberations.
The committee’s deliberations are expected to set the stage for far-reaching recommendations that could reshape the district administrative structure across Pakistan, balancing executive authority with local accountability and legal uniformity in service delivery mechanisms. The upcoming session will thus play a pivotal role in defining the contours of administrative reform in the country’s evolving governance framework.
