Consultative Session Recommends Bold Reforms To Ensure Better Functioning Of LG System In KP

PESHAWAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 29th Aug, 2025) A consultative session with multi-stakeholder advocacy panel on `The Pioneer’s Paradox’, Civil Society White Paper on Local Governance in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has recommended a series of bold and strategic reforms to align KP’s practices with its constitutional obligations for ensuring better functioning and autonomy of Local Government system in the province.

The consultative session was organized here by Blue Veins organization under the initiative of "Strengthening Local Government to Promote Democracy in Pakistan".

Special Assistant to the Chief Minister KP on Population, Liaqat Ali Khan, MPA and DDAC Chairman Peshawar, Sher Ali Afridi, MPA Shahida and representatives of Local Government were present in the meeting.

During the session, Chief Executive Awaz-CDS Pakistan, Zia ur Rehman launched `Pioneer Paradox’, white paper by civil society on Local Governance in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Participants of the session held threadbare discussion on white paper on the performance of Local Governments in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for the year 2024–2025, challenges, budget allocations and financial constraints, identify performance gaps, and explore strategic interventions to enhance local government institutions in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

In his presentation, Zia-ur-Rehman observed that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) has historically been at the forefront of local governance reforms, particularly after the 18th Constitutional Amendment, which mandated devolution through Article 140-A [1].

Despite this legislative commitment, the actual implementation of devolved governance has remained partial and vulnerable to political and bureaucratic reversals.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), which governed the province for an extended period, championed these reforms in principle, yet its actions had often contradicted this stated commitment, he added.

This contradiction was not a mere paradox but reflects a deeper, systemic conflict over the control of political power and resources at the grassroots level, a conflict that was sharply escalated by the results of the 2021-22 local government elections, Zia observed.

To empower the existing democratic mandate and uphold Judicial rulings, it was also suggested to immediately prioritise functional empowerment of the existing, legally-elected LGs whose four year term ends in mid-2026.

The provincial government must immediately and fully comply with the Peshawar High Court's landmark judgment of May 23, 2025, which declared the 2022 amendments unconstitutional. This requires the full transfer of all administrative powers and functions to mayors and chairmen as they are defined in the Primary Local Government Act, not as dictated by discretionary rules.

Speaking on the occasion, MPA Sher Ali Afridi merger of ex-FATA in KP created a lot of administrative and governance challenges by increasing the population of the province manifold with minimum financial resources.

He said under the new National Finance Commission (NFC) Award, the province is expected to receive additional share and hopefully the issues will be resolved.

MPA Shaida said we all have to get united for the noble cause of development of the country and avoid internal differences between MPAs and Local Government represenatives.

She said in democracy everyone should be given his right including administrative and financial through mutual cooperation.

Special Assistant to the Chief Minister on Population, Liaqat Ali Khan stressed the need of revamping of state institutions at national level with the objective of improving there performance and making them people’s centric.

He said in all democratic institutions, elected representatives should be given their due rights for the cause of serving of people.

He disclosed that KP has released Rs. 50 million funds to Nazims of 58 Tehsil Councils in the province for improving public service.

He said government wanted to improve the system but due to lack of resources challenges are in the way which would be overcome through collective efforts.