Islamabad (HRNW)- Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal has called for major reforms to Pakistan’s governance structure, saying the country should either create 15 additional provinces or establish 160 effective district governments to improve service delivery and social indicators.
Speaking at a consultation session with media representatives on Islamabad Capital Territory Governance Reforms, Ahsan Iqbal said the existing two-tier government structure has become ineffective. He stressed that Pakistan’s democratic system cannot function properly without fully activating the third tier of government.
The federal minister said there are currently only around 1,170 government offices serving a population of approximately 260 million, arguing that between 150,000 and 200,000 local government offices would be required to address citizens’ problems effectively.
Ahsan Iqbal noted that although the federal government transferred 17 departments to the provinces in 2010, the provinces have not transferred any department to local governments. He said Article 140-A provides for the third tier of government but requires greater clarity regarding the transfer of administrative, financial and political powers.
He further said that if Pakistan is not prepared to create new provinces, the establishment of 160 district governments would be the alternative. Regarding Islamabad, he said the capital’s administrative structure is based on a presidential order and does not provide its approximately 2.6 million residents an effective role in the city’s affairs.
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