PA speaker urges immediate 27th Amend to empower local govts

LAHORE: Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Ahmad Khan has urged the establishment of a stable and constitutionally protected local government system to ensure genuine empowerment of the masses.

Flanked by PMLN MPAs Ahmad Iqbal and Rana Arshad, PA Speaker said this while addressing a press conference here on Friday.

The Speaker stressed that devolution of power to the grassroots level is vital for strengthening democracy and improving governance.

He said that a country of 250 million people cannot be effectively run through merely 1,500 elected representatives, emphasising that empowered institutions at the district, tehsil, and union council levels are essential to address citizens’ everyday problems.

Malik Ahmad Khan noted that in most democratic countries, local governments operate under constitutional protection, while in Pakistan, successive governments have repeatedly altered the system, disrupting democratic continuity.

“Without constitutional safeguards, the bond of trust between the state and citizens weakens,” he remarked. He added that issues such as sanitation, water supply, roads, graveyards, and municipal services must be handled and resolved at the local level.

He said the Punjab Assembly’s unanimously passed resolution to amend Article 140-A of the Constitution (moved by MPAs Ahmad Iqbal of PMLN and Ali Haider Gilani of PPP) reflects a collective resolve to ‘institutionalise’ local governments and ensure lasting devolution of authority.

The Speaker urged all political parties to unite on a single platform for the proposed 27th Constitutional Amendment, even if it requires convening an All-Parties Conference.

Citing the Supreme Court’s acknowledgment of local governments as a cornerstone of democracy and the Election Commission’s 2022 recommendation for reforms, Malik Ahmad reiterated that no parliament is better than a ‘spineless parliament’ that avoids addressing fundamental democratic needs.

Expressing grave concern over human trafficking, he said that the growing trend of youth resorting to illegal migration routes represents a national tragedy that demands a coherent policy response at the federal level.

The Speaker also praised Chief Minister’s anti-smog campaign, stating that consistent implementation of environmental measures could significantly improve air quality in the provincial capital and across Punjab.