1. Local Governance in Pakistan 1947- Till Date Muhammad Riaz KHAN PhD Scholar, MS(Conflict management) Gold Medal, MBA(HRM), LLB (IP), FICCI - USA

2. Agenda…. O Local Government in Pakistan 1947-59 O Local Governance Model 1959 O LG (Basic Democracies Model) 1959 – Motives O Union Council O Tehsil Council O District Council O Divisional and Provincial Councils O LG Model 1959 – Consequences

3. Local Govt. in Pakistan 1947 -59 O The 1935 Government of India Act allowed provincial autonomy and permitted provinces to frame legislation on local government systems. O The LG System inherited by Pakistan in 1947 was a product of a series of British efforts made from time to time through reforms, laws and commissions, to promote local institutions autonomous in certain respects but substantially under the control of the provincial government through district officers. O After independence, the policy of the Pakistan Govt. in regard to LG was that fullest autonomy shall be granted to such bodies; O This was borne out by the 1948 Muslim League Manifesto which stood for the ‘very widest extension of Local Govt. on the models of parishes and communes of the United States’.

4. Local Govt. in Pakistan 1947 -59… O Despite these steps, the local govt. institutions in West Pakistan made no appreciable progress. O As the 1st Constituent Assembly Pakistan (1 st CAP) did not succeed in adopting a Constitution for the country, although, it has drafted one (Draft Constitution of 1954). 2 nd CAP although adopted Constitution of 1956, but the Govt. did not succeed in holding General Elections. Thus, in October 1958, Martial Law was imposed. O The above state of affairs more or less continued to prevail throughout the first decade of Pakistan’s existence and no noteworthy advance was made until the promulgation of Basic Democracies Order in 1959

5. Local Governance Model – 1959 O On 27th October 1958, after a decade long political turmoil in the country, the army took over and General Ayub Khan became the chief Marshal Law Administrator - CMLA O On the first anniversary of his government, on 27thOctober, 1959, General Ayub Khan addressed the nation and announced the introduction of a new system of local government O The system is known as Basic Democracies System (BD System) to bring democracy to the door steps of the people O The aims was to have "direct participation of the people managing their affairs through representative bodies not far from their own villages and Mohallas”.

6. LG Model 1959 – Motives 1.A shift towards urban to rural political participation 2.BDs as President’s Electoral College 3.Safety and continuity of Presidential system 4.Neutralization of threat of mainstream political parties 5.A “non-political” political system 6.Political outreach and equality 7.Decentralization of development 8.Mass involvement 9.Attainment of stability and security at all levels 10.Refined participation of bureaucracy 11.Controlled democracy

8. BD System 1959 – Union Council O This was the lowest but the basic tier of the system. O In rural areas, the first tier of government was the Union Council that consisted of a group of 5-8 villages (8,000- 15,000 population). O Each Council elected a Chairman from amongst its members who served as its executive head. O There used to be 10-15 electoral wards and from each ward one councilor was to be elected. O Each ward was represented by one basic democrat elected by 1,000-1,500 voters on adult franchise basis (21 years of age) O Urban areas consisted of union committees that had 6-10 elected members. O The Chairman of the union committee was elected as an ex- officio member of the municipal committee. O Union committees were deprived of fiscal powers of any sort. O Union Councils also had 37 functions assigned to them.

9. BD System 1959 – Union Council….2 O UCs were given judicial, as well as public services functions in addition to their economic developmental functions. O With the approval of the Commissioner, the UC could levy any tax and impose rates, tolls and fees. O The functions of a UC consisted of a variety of subjects mostly economic development. O They were also assigned the duty of agriculture, industrial and communication development and food production development. O They were also assigned some welfare and administrative functions like lighting of public ways, maintenance of public streets, public places, reconciliation marriage and child birth registration, death registration, divorce registration, and they also made a joint electoral college. O Finally it was converted into an electoral college for election of the members of provincial and national assemblies and then, a president.

10. BD System 1959 – Tehsil Council O There was no election to this council. O The non-official members were the chairmen of all the Union Councils within the Tehsil and the official members were the heads of all the nation building departments in the sub- division/ tehsil. O This tier had no executive or any other function except to pass on the recommendations of the UCs to the District council. In this sense this was just a coordinating body. O This council was headed by the AC of the area. O In deed this was an elite club where all the officials and non- official elites had to meet sometime O Unlike Union Councils, the Tehsil Council had no taxation powers.

11. BD System 1959 – District Council O There was no direct election to this council. O The head of the council was to be the DC of the district and the Vice-Chairman used to be selected from amongst the chairmen of the tehsil council / UCs by the DC. O In the Basic Democracies System, a District Council was created, consisting of an Electoral College of which all Chairmen of Union Councils, town and union committees were members, removing the distinction between urban and rural areas. O The non-official members were the Chairmen LG Councils O ½ of the appointed members were from amongst the chairmen of the UCs O The no. of official and non-official members was equal.

12. BD System 1959 – District Council..2 O Its main purpose was to coordinate the activities of all local councils and municipal committees under its jurisdiction. O The District Council had 28 obligatory and 70 optional functions and powers to levy taxes. O This tier had vast financial and executive powers. O In addition to the development functions, it could levy any tax. O The functions and powers of the DC were divided into ‘compulsory’ and ‘optional’. O Compulsory functions included the provision and maintenance of schools, libraries, hospitals, public roads and play grounds, as well as protection of food stuff, regulation of traffic, and measure to increase agriculture production. O The optional functions included the council enjoyed wide jurisdiction over education, Culture, social welfare, economic welfare, public health and public works.

13. BD System 1959 – District Council..2 O Its main purpose was to coordinate the activities of all local councils and municipal committees under its jurisdiction. O The District Council had 28 obligatory and 70 optional functions and powers to levy taxes. O This tier had vast financial and executive powers. O In addition to the development functions, it could levy any tax. O The functions and powers of the DC were divided into ‘compulsory’ and ‘optional’. O Compulsory functions included the provision and maintenance of schools, libraries, hospitals, public roads and play grounds, as well as protection of food stuff, regulation of traffic, and measure to increase agriculture production. O The optional functions included the council enjoyed wide jurisdiction over education, Culture, social welfare, economic welfare, public health and public works.

14. Divisional & Provincial Advisory Councils Divisional Advisory Council O This board was set up at divisional level. O It was headed by Divisional Commissioner. O This Council was additionally made out of both official and designated individuals. O The obligations doled out to this board included checking of various offices in the divisions and planning of recommendations for different welfare exercises. Provincial Advisory Council (Abolished Later on) O It was straightforwardly under Governor. O This board played out the elements of checking every one of the establishments of Basic Democracies in the regions and planning their exercises. O The Governor was capable of sending the report of his execution specifically to the President.

15. LG Model 1959 – Consequences 1.Abused as President’s Electoral College to get elected Gen. Ayub as President in contest with Ms. Fatima Jinnah 2.Used as base by Gen Ayub 3.Affected 4.A “non-political” political system 5.Political outreach and equality 6.Decentralization of development 7.Mass involvement 8.Attainment of stability and security at all levels 9.Refined participation of bureaucracy 10.Controlled democracy