Importance of local bodies

As local bodies have been a neglected area in Pakistan, it is heartening to see Balochistan conduct its local-government elections overall peacefully, after a gap of nine years. The largest province of Pakistan has in most of its 50 years’ history as a province given fragmented mandates to various parties and to a large number of independent candidates. Official results are still pouring in while unofficial results have independents leading the polls leaving political parties’ candidates behind. The results are interesting in that amongst political parties, the JUI-F and BAP are leading while other parties are behind in unofficial results. In Gwadar, the Haq Do Tehreek has almost won in a clean sweep. The rights movement, led by Maulana Hidayatur Rehman, had in recent times raised its voice for fishermen, jobs and other issues important to the local community. The success of the Haq Do Tehreek is an indictment of political parties and stakeholders in Balochistan who have clearly not understood local concerns. From clean drinking water to fishermen’s rights, from enforced disappearance to joblessness, the people of Balochistan are one of the most disenfranchised in the country.

Local bodies are the backbone of any democracy. Article 140-A of the constitution says: “Each province shall, by law, establish a local government system and devolve political, administrative and financial responsibility and authority to the elected representatives of the local governments.” The problem Pakistan has faced is that, despite local governments being such an important and integral part of democracy, the ruling class has preferred to keep power entrenched in the provincial power structures than devolving them to the local bodies. Apart from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where credit goes to the PTI government for empowered local bodies, no other province has seen local governments with full authority ever since civilian governments came to power in 2008. The recent local government elections in Balochistan have proved once again that, given a chance, people participate in the democratic process no matter how flawed that may be. The high voter turnout in Balochistan is an example of how eager people are to cast their vote in. Turnout in Turbat district for example, was put at around 62 per cent by the Election Commission of Pakistan.

We find a dismal picture when it comes to local bodies in other provinces. The ECP had scheduled the polling for the LG election in six divisions of Sindh for the last week of June. However, both the Sindh government and other parties in the province would rather the election be delayed – the PPP because it would prefer keeping power with itself, and the MQM, GDA and PTI because they want the office of the mayor empowered, as per SC orders, before the local government election. Punjab – a province that PM Shehbaz Sharif ruled for 10 consecutive years – too has had a bad run with empowerment of local bodies. Now that Punjab has a new governor, and Hamza Shehbaz is set to form his cabinet, we hope that he allows a proper local government system to function in the province. There is no excuse now for these two provinces not to go ahead with local government elections that give powers to local bodies. Chief ministers of all provinces are inherently powerful chief executives after the passage of the 18th Amendment. They do not need to be dictatorial about their power. Local leaders emerge through student unions and local governments. In Pakistan, we are essentially missing both these institutions. We have seen our leaders give examples of powerful democracies. What they conveniently ignore is the devolution of power to the lower tiers of governance.