In every civilized and democratic country in the world, local bodies have extraordinary power over democratic institutions. These institutions are also the center of power of the people. These institutions are not only the foundation of the development of countries but also the performance of these institutions makes these countries such an attractive face all over the world that third world countries like ours fall under their spell. It is this charm that makes us realize that we are far from both developed and developed countries.
Our country has only one tragedy, the rest of the tragedies are due to this one tragedy only. That is, there is no sovereign and independent local government system in this country. And this system is not just because it empowers the common man. This system snatches power from powerful politicians and hands it over to a common man in the streets and the politician of this country never wants a common man to be powerful in this country. Because the political power of the common man means new political leadership. This local government system negates hereditary politics and family leadership.
That is why the greatest enemy of the common man in this country is the politician, who has kept the common man powerless only to protect his personal interests.
In this country, the 18th Amendment is considered a great achievement of politicians. Basically, this 18th amendment gave provincial autonomy but not district autonomy, due to which the powers are confined to the Chief Minister's House. Without giving civil and district sovereignty not only in Pakistan but also in today's world, it is not possible to provide basic human resources to any nation with basic human rights, from the solution of basic problems to the continuation of mega projects.
After the 18th Amendment, powers also passed from the federation to the Chief Minister and from the districts and streets to the Chief Minister's House. The amendment empowered the chief ministers of the provinces to such an extent that no dictator in the past would have dreamed of so many powers, while the local bodies were made the slaves of the provincial governments as they wished.
Interestingly, of all the major political parties in the country, especially the PTI, the PPP and the Muslim League, the least important is the local bodies. They are not allowing local bodies to become influential institutions, while if you look at the manifestos of these parties, most of them have considered the transfer of power to the lower level as the axis of their political struggle. But the process is very different. The PTI talked a lot about the local bodies before coming to power but after coming to power it suspended the local bodies in Punjab. Let the KPK hold elections near its end and the problem is not only to hold elections, but also to empower these institutions. If you look at the policy of PPP, it seems that this party regularly hates local bodies. This is more or less the situation of the Muslim League. In his view, local bodies are of no importance.
The problem is that without these parties the local government system in this country cannot be strengthened. Democracy cannot be strengthened without a strong local government system. The only formula to transform Pakistan into a strong, dignified and developed country is the empowered local governments.
Now it remains to be seen what is the biggest obstacle in the way of establishment of these empowered local governments. These are the politicians of our country who keep on glorifying the name of democracy but do not allow the nursery of democracy to be established. Under Pervez Musharraf, the strongest local government system in the history of the country was established, the fruits of which made the whole nation prosperous and prosperous. The process of Pervez Musharraf's era that is still remembered today is his local government system. It is also proof that this nation needs an empowered local government system.
For the past several days, riots have been going on in this country in the name of democracy. This riot is not for the common man living in this country but for the choice of the officials of the club of powerful people. Which is of no use to the common man, as is the case with elections for gymnasiums or elite clubs. No matter who wins, no loser belongs to the common man. In this way, democracy has become a powerful and elite club in this country. The fruits of which are limited to these elites instead of coming down. This war is being fought in the name of constitution and law. Now the question arises that the constitution speaks of a strong local government system, the constitution speaks of local bodies. For more or less two years, local bodies in Sindh were not in power at that time. In Punjab, the PTI suspended local bodies as soon as it arrived. The situation is similar in Baluchistan. Elections have now taken place in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa but there is no strong local government system.
There is also a question that when the constitution provides protection to the local bodies in this country then why there is no clash between the politicians for the local bodies and local body powers in this country. Why don't political parties accuse each other of violating the constitution when there is no empowered local government system and timely local body elections? Why not raise voice for empowered local government system in the whole country except Karachi? After all, why do politicians seem to be so indifferent to local government elections in the way they are manipulating the federal and provincial governments? Why isn't democracy in danger when there are no local bodies? Breaking down of local bodies, not holding local body elections on time and keeping local bodies in power
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