Devolution, not illusion

2026-01-26 - 00:54

The renewed discussion on a fully empowered local government system is both timely and encouraging. In a political culture where governance debates often remain confined to federal and provincial power struggles, recent discussions have rightly shifted focus to the grassroots where the state meets the citizen. The session titled “Devolution for Revolution” at Think Fest Lahore is a wel-come reminder that meaningful and sustainable change in Pakistan cannot occur without strong, autonomous local governments. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif’s remarks at the forum underscored a reality long acknowledged but rarely acted upon: political stability and democratic le-gitimacy are inseparable from grassroots empowerment. By describing local governments as a “nursery” rather than a threat, Asif challenged the persistent fear within political circles that devolution weakens authority. On the contrary, as he argued, power that flows from the people upward is the only power that can be constitutionally and morally defended. This was not the first time the De-fence Minister has spoken forcefully on the subject. In earlier speeches on the floor of the National Assembly, he had also advocated a robust local govern-ment framework, stressing that no democratic system can function effectively when citizens remain disconnected from decision-making. A fully empowered local government system indeed is essential to bring tangible improvements in the lives of ordinary citizens. Issues such as sanitation, policing, emergency re-sponse, fire safety and municipal services cannot be efficiently managed from distant provincial capitals. They require local oversight, local accountability and local resources. Devolution of administrative authority and financial autonomy to city, tehsil and union levels would not only improve service delivery but also reduce fiscal and administrative burdens on federal and provincial govern-ments.Both federal and provincial governments bear a responsibility to ensure that local governments do not merely exist on paper but are genuinely empow-ered to discharge their duties. The most urgent requirement is binding legisla-tion that guarantees regular local government elections just as general elections are constitutionally mandated every five years. The recurring practice of delay-ing local bodies has eroded public trust and weakened democratic continuity at the grassroots. Without a genuine local government system, promises of reform will remain rhetorical and governance failures will continue to weaken service delivery and citizen confidence.