Khawaja Asif decries failure to implement local govt system
Pakistan
He said if politicians want to take their powers, they will have to empower the local governments, otherwise there will be football matches between different types of bureaucracy.
LAHORE (Dunya News) - The democratic governments in Pakistan could not effectively implement local government system; holding local government elections is an important element of the 18th Amendment, said Defence Minister Khawaja Asif here on Saturday.
Speaking at ThinkFest 2026, Khawaja Asif has said democratic governments have failed to effectively implement the local government system.
Powers were not transferred to the provinces under the 18th Amendment. The important part of the 18th Amendment was holding of local government elections, and that the country's problems would not be solved until powers were transferred to the grassroots level, the minister said.
He added that Ayub Khan, Gen Zia and Gen Musharraf took advantage of local governments and empowered the system, despite they were dictators.
He said if politicians want to take their powers, they will have to empower the local governments, otherwise there will be football matches between different types of bureaucracy.
The defence minister said local government is not a threat to anyone, rather all institutions are protected from it. I don't know why politicians consider themselves insecure from it, he added.
No party including the PML-N should oppose local government, as democracy is strengthened through this system.
