PPP Human Rights Cell President and former senator Farhatullah Babar has called for constitutional permanence and stronger safeguards for local governments (LGs), terming them the "unfinished agenda" of the 18th Amendment.
Speaking at the Pakistan Governance Forum organised by the Planning Division in Islamabad, he said that despite the passage of over 15 years, empowered local governments as the third tier of the federation had not been effectively implemented.
Babar attributed the weak state of LGs to political parties and the bureaucracy, both of whom he said were reluctant to cede authority. He also pointed to gaps in the constitutional design, noting the absence of mandatory timelines for local government elections similar to those for national and provincial assemblies.
He cautioned against altering provincial boundaries in the name of strengthening local governments, warning that carving out new provinces could trigger political turmoil. He alleged that "centrists" had historically opposed provincial autonomy and used various tactics to undermine it, recalling past centralisation policies that led to serious political consequences.
Describing devolution in Pakistan as incomplete, inconsistent and reversible, Babar proposed several measures to prevent further erosion of LGs.
