By Wajahat Ali Durrani
ADVANTAGES OF LOCAL GOVERNMENTS IN PAKISTAN
1. In Pakistan or anywhere else in this world, local government set up is considered as nursery of democracy. All successful politicians start off their political career by contesting local elections and from there they excel and make it to provincial assembly and finally become national assembly members. Almost all the democratic states including Pakistan have their local governments which provide foundation for democracy.
2. Local government is more accessible to the citizens than provincial or central government. In Pakistan local government comprises of village councils, tehsil councils and districts councils. All these councils are accessible and citizens can go there and get their works done. On the other hands, in the absence of local government people have to suffer a lot. They do run after the MPAs & MNAs but end up saying “he is not available”. At least local governments’ representatives do sit in their offices and one can find them at any time.
3. Local government understands local problems better than anyone else can. As people of almost every village are members of tehsil & district council, so they local councilors highlight problems in meeting and propose plans to solve them. MPAs or MNAs’ understanding of the problems is weak as compare to local government’s representatives.
4. Money is passed on to the local councilors or representatives who spend it on where it is needed while without local governments, MPAs & MNAs are not likely to spend money where it is needed desperately.
5. Local governments also try to generate income from their own sources. On the other hand when there is no district government, central government will not explore local revenue generating sources to the fullest thus creating less economic opportunities for which they can exercise in their premises.
6. Local governments in Pakistan provide greater engagement for the local people. Thousands of Pakistanis livelihoods are associated with local governments and without them they would remain jobless. the local people. In Pakistan local government is making headway in it.
7. It helps widespread communities to do away with their feelings of being ignored. It is one of the major things that make people feel like they have some authority and power which they can exercise in their premises.
8. Local governments enhance awareness about democracy and democratic values among local people; otherwise in a country like Pakistan where democracy is just setting its ground, people might just remain ignorant of democracy and its values or significance.
DISADVANTAGES OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN PAKISTAN
Local governments in Pakistan have advantages but at the same time they have disadvantages too.
1. Pakistan is a developing country with fragile economy having massive circular debts can hardly efforts to cater for a new additional government set up in local level. Local governments require huge funding from the central or provincial governments to provide for their daily expenditures and expenditures in the form of holding elections, construction of their offices and paying for their monthly salaries. It is proving huge burden on already struggling economy of Pakistan.
2. Local governments do not only require fund so that they can solve problems of the masses but they also need some authority. Local governments in Pakistan cry for authority but they are not given authority by the provincial governments as in the case of Sindh where Mayor Karachi Waseem Akhtar voiced against the injustice of not having enough authority.
3. Local governments in Pakistan are one of the indications of decentralized government where central government allows local people to decide about various things in local level. It is not a good thing to practice in a country like Pakistan which has witnessed insurgencies many times.
4. Local governments have little charm in Pakistan because they do not carry with themselves the kind of things which a young educated person can be aspirant of. Local governments have little things to offer that’s why they are dominated by retired people who do not have any things to do except get into this charmless local politics. Thus local Governments in Pakistan lack energetic young blood which can carry its vision through.
5. Local government elections are never held on time. Provincial governments always use delaying tactics to avoid setting up of local government because they want to exercise maximum power. They are not willing to share or divide power with district governments. This hampers the very set up of local governments.
By Wajahat Ali Durrani
ADVANTAGES OF LOCAL GOVERNMENTS IN PAKISTAN
1. In Pakistan or anywhere else in this world, local government set up is considered as nursery of democracy. All successful politicians start off their political career by contesting local elections and from there they excel and make it to provincial assembly and finally become national assembly members. Almost all the democratic states including Pakistan have their local governments which provide foundation for democracy.
2. Local government is more accessible to the citizens than provincial or central government. In Pakistan local government comprises of village councils, tehsil councils and districts councils. All these councils are accessible and citizens can go there and get their works done. On the other hands, in the absence of local government people have to suffer a lot. They do run after the MPAs & MNAs but end up saying “he is not available”. At least local governments’ representatives do sit in their offices and one can find them at any time.
3. Local government understands local problems better than anyone else can. As people of almost every village are members of tehsil & district council, so they local councilors highlight problems in meeting and propose plans to solve them. MPAs or MNAs’ understanding of the problems is weak as compare to local government’s representatives.
4. Money is passed on to the local councilors or representatives who spend it on where it is needed while without local governments, MPAs & MNAs are not likely to spend money where it is needed desperately.
5. Local governments also try to generate income from their own sources. On the other hand when there is no district government, central government will not explore local revenue generating sources to the fullest thus creating less economic opportunities for which they can exercise in their premises.
6. Local governments in Pakistan provide greater engagement for the local people. Thousands of Pakistanis livelihoods are associated with local governments and without them they would remain jobless. the local people. In Pakistan local government is making headway in it.
7. It helps widespread communities to do away with their feelings of being ignored. It is one of the major things that make people feel like they have some authority and power which they can exercise in their premises.
8. Local governments enhance awareness about democracy and democratic values among local people; otherwise in a country like Pakistan where democracy is just setting its ground, people might just remain ignorant of democracy and its values or significance.
DISADVANTAGES OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN PAKISTAN
Local governments in Pakistan have advantages but at the same time they have disadvantages too.
1. Pakistan is a developing country with fragile economy having massive circular debts can hardly efforts to cater for a new additional government set up in local level. Local governments require huge funding from the central or provincial governments to provide for their daily expenditures and expenditures in the form of holding elections, construction of their offices and paying for their monthly salaries. It is proving huge burden on already struggling economy of Pakistan.
2. Local governments do not only require fund so that they can solve problems of the masses but they also need some authority. Local governments in Pakistan cry for authority but they are not given authority by the provincial governments as in the case of Sindh where Mayor Karachi Waseem Akhtar voiced against the injustice of not having enough authority.
3. Local governments in Pakistan are one of the indications of decentralized government where central government allows local people to decide about various things in local level. It is not a good thing to practice in a country like Pakistan which has witnessed insurgencies many times.
4. Local governments have little charm in Pakistan because they do not carry with themselves the kind of things which a young educated person can be aspirant of. Local governments have little things to offer that’s why they are dominated by retired people who do not have any things to do except get into this charmless local politics. Thus local Governments in Pakistan lack energetic young blood which can carry its vision through.
5. Local government elections are never held on time. Provincial governments always use delaying tactics to avoid setting up of local government because they want to exercise maximum power. They are not willing to share or divide power with district governments. This hampers the very set up of local governments.
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