IN these polarised times, it is just not the people but also the politicians who are at war with each other. And their attacks on each other in television studios have become the only truth in town, so much so that when they do come together for the greater good, it is rarely noticed and even more rarely appreciated. Consider the moment some years ago when they all joined hands to give Gen Bajwa’s extension legal cover. It was for the greater good, few realised back then, as they were busy castigating the parliamentarians.
There was a similar moment in Punjab recently when everyone in the assembly came together to pass a resolution demanding local governments! Jointly sponsored by young MPAs from the PML-N and the PPP, the draft was so impressive that the PTI lot in parliament also voted for it. The two sides might be at war at the centre and elsewhere but in Punjab everyone was in the mood for love — with LGs.
And they have asked for LGs which are constitutionally protected, with defined tenures and responsibilities. It also asked that fresh elections be held within 90 days of the completion or dissolution of the LGs and for linking the provincial finance commission to the NFC.
Not only did the legislators come together to ask for this, the Speaker of the assembly, Malik Ahmed Khan, who has in the past been known not just for his generous defence of his party but also of Gen Bajwa, also took the time out to support the resolution in a press conference. According to a news report, he warned that the relationship between the state and the people weakens if there is no effective local governance. He also blamed successive governments for undermining the LG system and cautioned political parties against shortening LG terms for political convenience.
Why should one assume that legislators would pass a law with the same intent as a military despot?
What a slap in the face all this was for those who blame the politicians for being against LGs and disinterested in the needs of the people.
But it has been decades of socialisation against the political class. And the distrust is so high that it is hard to understand why these politicians who are concerned about LGs were also on board when the Punjab Assembly recently passed a law which seems to contradict the very principles they are so anxious about.
The new legislation was passed as recently as last month and is criticised for allowing the real power to lie with the provincial government and the bureaucracy. And what has received even more attention is that the new law provides for party-less LG elections — but only up to votes being cast and counted. After that, the footloose and fancy-free victors can join a political party within 30 days. But no more.
Those conditioned to distrust politicians point out that this is rather reminiscent of the elections held by Gen Ziaul Haq. Fearing a win by the PPP, he too held party-less elections in the hope that it would throw up a parliament he could control easily.
But this is a bit of a stretch. After all, why should anyone, however sceptical of politicians, assume that legislators would pass a law with the same intent as a military dictator? And secondly, who in their right mind would assume that elected politicians at present would behave the same way as their predecessors from 40 years ago? The world has changed since and so has Pakistan.
Indeed, if one has to provide a comparison with what happened 40 years ago, the 1985 assembly and the then prime minister Mohammad Khan Junejo proved so troublesome that Zia was forced to let them go. But at present there are no such issues in these times of hybrid togetherness where the politicos and the establishment are singing ‘hum saath saath hain’.
Indeed, there is little reason to question this happily ever after. Which also appears to be rather organic. In fact, it is just a coincidence that the politicians in the Punjab Assembly discovered the importance and necessity of LGs at a time when Islamabad is abuzz (it has been for months) about the discussions in a nearby town about how to ‘fix’ governance and the economy. Would it simply require a rejigging of the NFC to address economic issues, or would there also be a need to address some governance matter by dividing the four provinces further?
Many argued that new provinces would prove to be too politically difficult and empowered LGs might be easier to ensure. And with all this talk of solutions came the rumour that the impending 27th constitutional amendment (which was simply a case of when rather than if) would be used to make more changes than just continue tweaking the judiciary.
However, no one really has any concrete answers at the moment and so far the government has insisted it is not working on any draft of a possible amendment. This is the answer more than one government minister has given during interviews. But an opposition member has set the proverbial cat among the pigeons; Kamran Murtaza, a JUI-F senator, has said during a talk show on television that the draft of the 27th amendment to the Constitution may be laid in parliament soon enough.
Oh dear! I seem to have digressed far from the matter at hand. The Punjab Assembly politicians care so much about the people that they want constitutionally protected LGs. A greater good that they all — PPP, PML-N and PTI — came together to ask for it. We the people should appreciate this grand gesture and not question it.
Postscript: As these lines were being written Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari posted on X that the PML-N has approached the PPP for support on the 27th amendment which addresses a number of matters including the NFC.
The writer is a journalist.
Published in Dawn, November 4th, 2025
