- Kh Asif says three military rulers stayed in power longer than any civilian govt by empowering LGs they introduced
- Urges political parties to embrace grassroots empowerment for stronger democracy
- Experts highlight LGs’ role in service delivery, revenue generation and citizen ownership
LAHORE: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Saturday said that despite their proven role in strengthening grassroots politics, local governments continue to be neglected by political parties, a neglect that has ultimately weakened civilian rule.
“Political power must be rooted at the grassroots to gain constitutional and public legitimacy,” the defence minister remarked while addressing a panel session titled “Devolution for Revolution” at ThinkFest, a political and literary festival.
Acknowledging historical lapses, Asif admitted that the failure to institutionalise local bodies was “a political failure on our part,” noting that local government elections, whenever held, have historically been far less controversial than national polls. “Yet we have continued to avoid them,” he regretted.
Convener Punjab Local Government Caucus, @AhmadIqbalCh moderating “Devolution for Revolution” at @ThinkFestPK 2026 featuring, @KhawajaMAsif, Dr Ali Cheema, Dr Ishrat Hussain & @maryjamesgill pic.twitter.com/wZdxQcpLTx
— Punjab Local Government Caucus (@DehleezLG) January 24, 2026
Lahore University of Management Sciences’ (LUMS) Vice Chancellor Ali Cheema, former State Bank governor Dr Ishrat Hussain and former MPA Mary James Gill also delivered their keynote speeches on the topic.
Highlighting the political impact of empowering local governments, Asif pointed out that three military rulers — Ayub Khan, Ziaul Haq, and Pervez Musharraf — remained in power longer than any civilian government largely because they introduced local government systems and drew political strength from them.
He recalled that local bodies were included in the Charter of Democracy signed by the PPP and PML-N in 2006, but the provision failed to find adequate space in the 18th Constitutional Amendment, even though most other agreed reforms were incorporated. He added that resistance to empowering the grassroots tier mainly came from the bureaucracy, which feared losing authority to elected representatives.
Highlighting international examples, Asif referred to a recent visit to Morocco, where he observed clean and well-managed neighbourhoods despite narrow streets in historic city centres. “An effective local government system there had instilled a participatory sense among citizens, ensuring cleanliness, sanitation and basic services through local taxation,” he emphaszied.
— ThinkFest Pakistan (@ThinkFestPK) January 24, 2026
“In Pakistan, only a few hundred thousand people are politically engaged out of 250 million,” he lamented. “The majority have never felt that they are part of the system or that their will and choices matter.”
Clarifying his stance, the defense minister said he was not criticising others but himself. “I have been in parliament for many years, yet we have not succeeded in introducing transformative reforms,” he admitted.
Expanding the discussion, Cheema highlighted the administrative and service delivery dimensions of local governments. While Asif focused on their political and democratic value, Cheema said their real strength lay in defining the state’s delivery system.
Citing international examples, he said the United Kingdom spends nearly 60 per cent of its development funds through local governments, while the United States allocates around 40 per cent. “This is how they achieved the so-called municipal revolution,” he said.
Cheema added that in developed countries, local governments provide essential services such as clean water, sanitation, health facilities, civic infrastructure, while also collecting taxes and strengthening citizens’ sense of ownership. “In Pakistan, unfortunately, this institutional infrastructure was never built,” he said. “When the system is missing, the sense of citizenship also remains weak.”
The discussion then turned to constitutional and fiscal reforms, with Dr Hussain pointing out that although the 18th Amendment clearly defined the roles of federal and provincial governments, it failed to properly outline the functions and powers of local governance.
“This ambiguity continues to create political and administrative friction,” he said, adding that the Amendment should have established a provincial finance commission to directly channel funds to underdeveloped areas within provinces. Strong local governments, he argued, would not only improve development efficiency but could also “generate their own revenue by improving tax collection and identifying new income sources.”
Dr Hussain suggested that if institutions such as the Lahore Development Authority, the Water and Sanitation Agency, and other civic bodies were placed under the authority of an elected mayor, municipal administrations would become financially stronger and self-sustaining. Advising political parties to embrace rather than compete with local governments, he said empowering the grassroots tier would ultimately strengthen democratic governance and benefit mainstream politics.
Meanwhile, Gill emphasised that local bodies give identity and dignity to people at the grassroots level.
The defence minister has repeatedly highlighted the need to empower local governments, stating earlier this week that “the dispersal of power actually multiplies power” while “concentration of power diminishes it.”
“Empowering local governments means taking the government to the common man’s doorstep,” he said in a post on X. He added that once a local government system becomes functional, “people will not be dependent on bureaucracy and will be able to elect empowered representatives and institutions through their vote.”
The remarks came a day after Asif called for a “meaningful” constitutional amendment to introduce an empowered local government system in the country.
