Empowering the local

The constitution of Pakistan stipulates a three-tier system of governance with a pivotal role for local governments in conformity with the cardinal principle of empowerment of the people and delivery of services to them at their doorstep. But unfortunately the so-called elected and representative governments that should have laid more emphasis on the establishment of strong and effective local bodies have never ever made a sincere effort to fulfill that constitutional obligation. Vested interests like MPAs and the bureaucracy invariably acted as a stumbling block in that regard. Provincial governments also showed reluctance to devolve power to the grassroots level.

The credit for setting up local governments actually goes to the dictatorial regimes that laid greater emphasis on this missing component of governance – though for different reasons than strengthening democratic governance in the country. Notwithstanding some flaws, local governments enjoyed much greater administrative and fiscal powers under Gen Musharraf’s military-led dispensation. Instead of removing those shortcomings and building on the foundation laid for the local governments for bringing them in conformity with the constitutional requirements, the PML-N and PPP governments disempowered them. Punjab and Sindh had highly centralized power structures. The deterioration of civic amenities in big cities like Karachi and Lahore as well as other major urban centers is a sequel to local governments not having full control of their respective domains with regard to development and provision of other civic services.

Both the PPP and the PML-N were reluctant to hold local bodies elections in the first place. However, they were left with no choice when the Supreme Court ordered them to do so to fulfill their constitutional obligations. Nevertheless, the local bodies system set up by the PPP and PML-N governments in their domains of responsibility unfortunately did not prove to be instrumental to the empowerment of the people since the elected governments at different tiers enjoyed very limited powers and the local MNAs and MPAs maintained their upper hand in development projects in their respective areas for which they were allocated funds by the respective governments. The bureaucracy also enjoyed an ascendant position over the local governments. Finance-wise, local governments were entrusted with very little powers and the funds provided to them from the provincial governments were nothing more than peanuts to say the least. It was never a devolution of power as envisaged by Article 140-A of the constitution.

As they say, credit must be given where it lies; I feel no scruples in eulogizing the PTI government and Prime Minister Imran Khan for the local government system that they have introduced in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and now in Punjab. The Punjab Local Government Bill is surely a radical improvement over the existing system of local government as far as bringing governance closer to people is concerned. They system introduced in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa comparably was much better than Sindh and Punjab in many respects. Power was devolved beyond the district level to even the lower tiers of village councils. An unprecedented move was to allocate 30 percent development funds of the total provincial PSDP to the local governments.

The local bodies system introduced in Punjab is an improved version of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa model. Elected village councils with powers to determine and supervise development work in their respective areas will give the people enhanced control over their lives besides immensely contributing to the dilution of the existing power structures which were inimical to the spirit of the constitution. Like Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 30 percent development funds will be given to the local governments, a laudable move which hopefully would play a significant role in removing regional disparities also.

The biggest radical and positive initiative taken in the Local Government Act for Punjab is the holding of direct elections for town and city mayors which is very similar to the system prevalent in well-established democracies. The step would ensure the strengthening of participatory democracy. Powers for taxation and control over development work by the elected mayors will make their office much more effective and powerful than previous mayors.

Another hallmark of the proposed system is that it envisages elimination of the role of MNAs and MPAs development work, which was actually a serious deviation from the constitution. They will now be free to focus on their real role of legislation as representatives of the people. Although some of the allies of the PTI government in Punjab and the opposition have expressed reservations over the newly introduced system, the fact remains that their objections are politically motivated. Instead of giving a nod of approval for something which has brought a much required improvement in the system of local government they still seem stuck into the old model of politics of opposition for the sake of opposition. It seems to be a futile attempt on their part to divert the attention of the people from their own inadequacies in that regard.

The PPP government in Sindh, which boasts of having introduced the Eighteenth Amendment for giving autonomy to the provinces, needs to give a serious thought to applying the same principle in empowering the local government. It is time to rise above vested political interests and give the people their due right. The tussle between the provincial government and local government in Karachi has already done irrevocable damage to the infrastructure and state of civic amenities extended to the people.

Though the real test of the envisaged system in Punjab will come when it is formally implemented and elections are held under it, conceptually nobody in his right mind can take issue with the initiative taken by the PTI government. There is always room for improvement and it will surely have its detractors. However, that should not be a deterring factor for the PTI and supporters of devolution of power to the grassroots level. One step in the right direction is what really matters in the end. Honestly speaking, this is the first ever serious effort by an elected government to devolve power to the grassroots level.

The writer is a freelance contributor. Email: ashpak10@gmail.com