The Minister of Defense expresses his support for the creation of new provinces and says that there is no harm in it and that no one should fear it.
Defense Minister Khawaja Asif speaking during a session at the Think Fest in Lahore on Saturday. Photo: screenshot
LAHORE:
Defense Minister Khawaja Asif on Saturday emphasized that Pakistan’s stability lies in a strong local government and no one should see it as a threat.
“When powers are not reduced to the grassroots level, it amounts to misleading the people. Local government should not be seen as a threat but as a nursery. The world knows New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani and this is the biggest example,” Asif said while speaking at the Devolution for Revolution session at the Think Fest in Lahore.
He said politicians could only secure their authority legally and constitutionally by seeking the direct support of the people. “If politicians want their power to be legitimate, they must reach the country’s 250 million inhabitants,” he said.
The defense minister said the local government posed no threat to any institution and instead ensured stability. “All institutions remain safe under a local government system. I don’t understand why my own fraternity feels insecure,” he said.
He recalled that the three military rulers (Ayub Khan, General Ziaul Haq and Pervez Musharraf) were dependent on local governments, allowing them to sustain their rule by delegating power to the grassroots while retaining central control.
Asif identified bureaucratic influence on politicians as one of the main reasons for political failure in the country. “First comes influence, then dependency. Once dependency sets in, politicians lose the ability to see long-term realities,” he said, adding that artificially created environments cloud political vision and distance leaders from ground realities.
The Defense Minister regretted that politicians continued to avoid empowering local institutions even though the model was easy to understand. “It pains me that even after decades in politics, we have failed to bring about meaningful change,” he said, adding that many of the current parliamentarians were products of the local government system introduced during General Zia’s era.
The minister emphasized that political power could be strengthened through institutional development by giving local governments tax authority, administrative powers, including surveillance, and financial independence at the city and tehsil levels. He said this devolution would also help alleviate budget pressures at the federal and provincial levels.
Highlighting international examples, Asif referred to a recent visit to Morocco, where he observed clean, well-managed neighborhoods despite narrow streets in historic city centers. He said an effective local government system had instilled a sense of participation among citizens, ensuring cleanliness, sanitation and basic services through local taxes.
“In Pakistan, only a few hundred thousand people out of 250 million are politically engaged,” he lamented. “The majority have never felt that they are part of the system or that their will and decisions matter.”
Clarifying his stance, Asif said he was not criticizing others but himself. “I have been in Parliament for many years, but we have failed to introduce transformative reforms,” he admitted.
He said the most pressing issue facing the country was empowering local governments, adding that the only segment that felt threatened by this change was the civil bureaucracy, whose authority would be transferred to elected representatives. “When powers shift from deputy commissioners to local governments and mayors, true stability will begin,” he said.
Referring to history, the Defense Minister noted that the local government system was institutionalized by the colonial rulers 150 to 200 years ago, who did not feel any threat in delegating authority despite their small numbers. “But today we fear diversity: different parties win in different cities or union councils,” he said.
“It is this diversity, these differences and this colorful political landscape where democracy truly flourishes,” Asif concluded.
He also expressed support for the creation of new provinces in Pakistan, saying there is no harm in the move and no one should fear it.
The debate on governance and local government issues has resurfaced since the Gul Plaza tragedy in a shopping mall in Karachi that has claimed 71 lives so far.
