President Dr Arif Alvi Wednesday said the local government was an effective governance system providing for devolution of power and resources besides featuring easy access to public.
The president, addressing the concluding session of two-day National Conference 2021 on Local Democracy: Moving Forward, said as per constitution, the local government was a provincial subject.
He said the constitution had mention of local government system for around 22 times however binding the provinces to set up the system and the state had a role to encourage.
President Alvi, who earlier distributed souvenirs among the heads of local councils associations, told the gathering of elected local government representatives to identify the problems, learn from past mistakes, carry out future planning and ensure effective implementation.
Referring to the Islamic history, the president said whenever the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) assigned some responsibility to anyone, he strictly advised him to keep up public contact, adjust the living standard as per the people to know their problems.
The president said the local government system featured 5Ds including devolution of power, distribution of resources, diffusion of authority, deconcentration of management and decentralization of service cadre.
Head of Operations of European Union Ovidiu Mic said the EU highly valued the local government system as citizen’s participation in democracy and decision making would bring about effective governance.
He said being close to people, the local government was also a catalyst to development. Chairman Local Councils Association of Punjab Tahir Iqbal Chaudhry, President Association for Development of Local Governments in Pakistan Rajan Sultan Pirzada, President of Local Councils Association of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Himayatullah Mayar also addressed the gathering.
