ISLAMABAD: The Free and Fair Election Network (Fafen) has called on parliament to introduce constitutional reforms aimed at strengthening Pakistan’s long-neglected system of local governments. The demand comes amid longstanding concerns that the spirit of Articles 7, 32, and 140-A of the Constitution — which emphasise political, administrative, and financial devolution — has not been fully realised.
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In its latest policy brief titled Devolution in Practice: Ensuring Effective and Accountable Local Governments in Pakistan, Fafen highlights major gaps in the implementation of constitutional provisions related to decentralisation. It notes that while the 18th Amendment significantly devolved powers to the provinces, the same level of commitment has not been extended by the provinces toward empowering local tiers of government.
The report stresses that local governments continue to face chronic issues, including irregular elections, frequent suspensions, limited fiscal authority, and inadequate administrative autonomy. These persistent challenges, Fafen warns, undermine the democratic framework envisioned in the Constitution and weaken service delivery at the grassroots level.
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To address these shortcomings, Fafen has proposed a set of actionable reforms, urging legislators to ensure the continuity, stability, and independence of local bodies across all provinces. The organisation maintains that a future constitutional amendment is necessary to secure a fully functional and accountable local governance system, one that cannot be overridden by provincial governments at will.