The true story is that many of our “dedicated Democrats” are working very hard to ensure that elections to the third tier—where the public has the most contact with elected officials—are postponed as much as possible. Fears of losing influence at the local level, as well as the growth of alternative leaderships that may challenge the mainstream parties, appear to be fueling this regressive mentality.
The fact that a bill to increase the number of union councils in Islamabad was recently rammed through the National Assembly and Senate, essentially delaying elections, demonstrates this. The capital was intended to have elections on the last day of the year, but with the PDM-led treasury pushing a law that increases the number of UCs from 101 to 125 and asks for direct election of the mayor and deputy mayor through parliament, timely polls will be difficult. Furthermore, the IHC has overturned the ECP’s order to increase UCs in the capital.
A similar legal ruse has also been used in Punjab, where multiple modifications to the LG statute have caused votes to be postponed. Meanwhile, in Sindh, the second round of elections has been postponed many times this year due to the provincial government claiming force majeure due to the severe floods while simultaneously claiming a lack of security personnel to ensure a safe election. Though the flood argument made sense at the time, the waters have receded and Karachi was never as badly damaged by the monsoon downpour; thus, the Sindh government’s justifications for postponing the elections sound increasingly hollow.
In fact, if not for the courts and the ECP, political parties in Pakistan could postpone the constitutional requirement of an elected third tier indefinitely. LG polls have now been scheduled for mid-January in Karachi and Hyderabad, with Punjab holding the election in April 2023, thanks to the ECP’s efforts.
It is earnestly hoped that the ruling parties in Sindh and Punjab will no longer use reasons to postpone the elections and that they will be held on time. Islamabad deserves an elected local government as well; hence, a new timeframe should be established and followed. From providing basic services to developing measures to combat climate change, almost no livable city in the world has advanced without a responsive elected local government.
However, Pakistan’s political establishment believes that MNAs and MPAs can micromanage cities and even neighbourhoods, and that voters must chase them down to get their streets swept or gutters cleaned.
This is not a sustainable situation. Political parties must change their attitudes toward local elections, which will only strengthen democracy in Pakistan rather than create roadblocks. Furthermore, state institutions like the courts and the ECP must continue to remind political parties that holding local elections is a constitutional duty.
