HRCP meeting expresses reservations on Punjab Local Government Act, 2025

LAHORE:

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) on Thursday expressed serious concerns over the Punjab Local Government Act, 2025 as it centralizes power and undermines the constitutional framework of local government.

A press release issued today by the HRCP said it held a consultation to examine the law that brought together local government experts, legislators and civil society activists, who questioned whether the new law meaningfully upheld the constitutional promise of local self-government.

Legal expert Sheikh Sibghat Ullah said Article 140A of the Constitution guarantees democratically elected and autonomous local governments political, administrative and financial authority. He said the new law weakened this guarantee by making local bodies accountable to the provincial government and bureaucracy rather than citizens.

HRCP treasurer Husain Naqi criticized the recentralization of authority through indirect elections, bureaucratic dominance and the reduced role of elected representatives. Election expert Tahir Mehdi said successive local government laws had restricted democratic development and this law followed the same pattern.

Local government expert Zahid Islam opposed the indirect election of key officials and referred to recent resolutions passed by the Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assemblies calling for constitutional reforms, including a clear interpretation of Article 7, broader inclusion in Article 32 and a separate constitutional chapter on local governments. He also said reserved seats increased marginalization and called for elections on a joint electorate basis.

HRCP chief Farah Zia suggested holding local, provincial and national elections on the same day to reduce uncertainty, a model envisaged for Gilgit-Baltistan.

Concerns were also raised about representation and equality. Nabila Shaheen, a representative of the Aurat Foundation, said the law lacked clear guarantees for meaningful participation of women and disadvantaged groups. Human rights activist Samson Salamat warned that including faith-based statements in a local governance law could undermine the principle of a civic social contract.

PML-N legislators Bushra Lodhi and Qudisa Batool maintained that the law would help address issues at the grassroots level.

Participants criticized the legislative process and noted that the law was approved the day it was presented amid an opposition strike, raising questions about transparency. PTI representative Imtiaz Mehmood said the law effectively eliminated the role of political parties, an issue that is currently being challenged judicially.

Concluding the consultation, HRCP Punjab Vice President Raja Ashraf said elections in Pakistan had historically been contested.

Most participants agreed that local government was essential for democratic governance and effective service delivery, but the Punjab Local Government Act, 2025 strengthened central control rather than devolving power.