Pakistan has been witness to several experiments in empowering local communities. Various political parties have introduced different local government systems. A new system was introduced by the military regime in the early 2000s and improvement in service delivery outcomes was claimed. However, elected governments showed o interest in its continuation beyond 2008. After the subject was delegated to provinces and the Supreme Court of Pakistan issued directions in this regard the provinces came up with various laws.

In the Punjab, the provincial government under Shahbaz Sharif set up a local government system that tried to improve service delivery by creating autonomous bodies and businesses, particularly in large cities. Several municipal services, including waste management, transport, parking management, environment and water supply were placed under newly created public companies mandated to handle the tasks. Solid waste management companies were created for example in several big cities after the early success of the model in Lahore. In 2016, the government established 63 public companies. The number was later brought down to 56 following complaints of ineffective management and failure to improve public service delivery in the case of several entities.

After the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf formed the federal and the Punjab governments in 2018, the local governments were sent packing in 2019. Instead, the PTI-led governments promised to install more empowered local governments elected under new laws. The government of the Punjab dismantled the local government in 2019 by promulgating two laws providing for elections and local governments at district, village and neighbourhood levels. In March 2021, the Supreme Court of Pakistan ruled that Section 3 of the Local Government Act 2019 providing for the dissolution of elected local governments ahead of their term was unconstitutional and restored the local governments elected under the LG Act 2013. The order was implemented in breach rather than compliance. In October 2019, Supreme Court showed displeasure over the government’s failure to restore governments and the Punjab government restored the local governments for the remainder of the term. Meanwhile, the provincial cabinet approved the Punjab Local Government Ordinance (PLGO) 2021. It received the governor’s assent on December 12. Local governments elected under the PLGA 2013 were then dissolved on January 1.

The government says stakeholders, including several civil society organisations and coalition partners have been consulted. The Punjab Assembly speaker constituted a committee to make proposals after the Ordinance became law. Some civil society groups too then put together their recommendations and submitted those to the local government department.

The PLGO2021 gives greater administrative and financial control over public service providers to the new local governments. The Parks and Horticulture Authority, the regional development authorities, the Water and Sanitation Agencies, the Traffic Engineering and Planning Agency, the Solid Waste Management Companies and the Parking Companies have been placed under the local governments. Similarly, local organisations of the education, health, population welfare and sports departments will now be answerable district authorities. Some civil society groups are concerned that Section 23 does not immediately devolve these authorities and companies to the local governments. It does not even specify a deadline for the devolution to happen. The decision thus remains at the whim of the chief minister.

The mayors and deputy mayors will now be elected directly after the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa pattern. (A similar change has been proposed for Islamabad.) Reservation of seats has been provided for women, youth, religious minorities, peasants, workers and traders. The Local Government Act 2019, had provided for election to the neighbourhood and village councils on a non-party basis. Under the PLGO2021, elections at all levels will be held on a party basis. Those intending to contest elections independently can form new political groups. The elections are proposed to be held using electronic voting machines. This appears to be hard to accomplish at the neighbourhood and village council level.

The PLGO2021 allows 60 percent of the seats at the neighbourhood and village councils to be decided by direct vote. Five of the general councilors will be elected by proportional representation for political parties and groups. Some of the civil society groups have warned that the scale of the mayoral elections in big cities will require strict vigilance.

The union councils have been abolished and replaced with neighbourhood councils in urban areas and village council in rural areas. Historically, union councils were demarcated by population (20,000). The neighbourhood and village councils will have 10,000 to 25,000 people each. There will be many local structures to represent and work closely with the local people. Community councils shall be formed under the neighbourhood councils and panchayats under village councils. These will include two women members in each organisation at the grassroots level. The community councils or panchayats will support the respective neighbourhood councils and village councils to improve service delivery by acting as watchdogs and help with management of local disputes. In the PLGA2013, the function had been entrusted to union councils which also acted as reconciliation courts. The community councils and panchayats are also mandated to settle local disputes and document the agreements/ awards.

Out of the 13 seats at the neighbourhood and village council level, two are reserved for women contesting as part of a panel. Two women will also become members of each community council or panchayat. Seats have also been reserved for women in the metropolitan corporations and district councils. There will be 11 women members out of 35 for a population of up to 500,000. For the first time, a seat has also been reserved for the disabled. Seats have been reserved for the youth and religious minorities at all levels. Under the PLGA2019, there were no reservations for the youth at the neighbourhood and village council levels; these have been provided in PLGO2021.

The PLGO2021 allows the heads of local government to appoint a cabinet comprising elected members and technocrats. Through its Local Government Finance Commission, the provincial government will determine the share of the provincial resources to be provided to the local governments. The neighbourhood and village councils will receive funds directly from the provincial government.

The PLGO2021 strengthens the local governments by bringing service delivery under their control and devolving key social services to the district level. It expands the local structures to give more representation to the people at the grassroots level. However, the system cannot be sustained without regular elections.

The writer, the CEO of Analytics Lab, is a freelance development consultant working on issues related to terrorism, democracy, peace-building and local governance.