KEY POINTS
- KP’s current LG system was originally established in 2015
- Provincial govt abolished district governments in 2019
- Abolition of district govts believed to have strengthened bureaucracy
- The current tenure of the local govt would end in March 2026
PESHAWAR: Despite being a major component of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)’s election manifesto, it has badly failed to put in place an effective local government system in Pakistan’s northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) which it has been ruling for the third consecutive term since 2013.
Current LG system
The current local government system was originally established in 2015 under the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Local Government Act, which was promulgated on November 5, 2013. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government amended the Local Government Act, 2013 in April 2019 and abolished district governments, leaving only tehsil and village/neighbourhood councils intact. The abolition of district governments is widely believed to have strengthened the bureaucracy, placing tehsil chairmen directly under the authority of the deputy commissioners.
The federal law regulating the election affairs—Election Act, 2017—makes it mandatory to hold elections within 120 days after an elected set-up expires. But due the coronavirus pandemic the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government delayed the local bodies elections for two years through an ordinance—the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Epidemic Control and Emergency Relief Ordinance— which was passed on July 07, 2020.
The federal law regulating the election affairs—Election Act, 2017—makes it mandatory to hold elections within 120 days after an elected set-up expires.
Even when elections were eventually held, the provincial government repeatedly slashed the local governments’ financial share—from 30 per cent to 20 per cent of development funds in 2022.
Election Results and Setbacks
December 19, 2024 marked the third anniversary of the first phase of the local bodies’ elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The second phase of the election was conducted on March 31, 2022. Subsequently, the successful candidates of the first phase and second phase assumed the charge of their respective offices on March 30, 2022 and July 08, 2022, respectively.
In the first phase, elections were held on 66 tehsils and their respective village and neighbourhood councils while in the second phase polls were conducted in 65 tehsils. Out of the total 131 tehsils, the ruling PTI candidates emerged triumphant on 52 tehsil councils.
It merits a mention here that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have around 170 tehsils. Under the Administrative Consolidation formula of tehsil councils, several tehsils were merged under a single tehsil government, reducing the total number of tehsil councils to 131.
In addition to the tehsil-level elections, local government elections were held at the micro-level for village and neighbourhood councils.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have around 170 tehsils. Under the Administrative Consolidation formula of tehsil councils, several tehsils were merged under a single tehsil government, reducing the total number of tehsil councils to 131.
According to the Local Government Department, in 2021 and 2022, elections were conducted on 4,212 village and neighbourhood councils in addition to the 131 tehsils, electing over 24,000 councillors.
Financial Constraints
Since the official commencement of their duties, the officeholders of the local bodies have been running from pillar to post to get the funds released from the provincial government, but to no avail.
The current tenure of the local governments would end in March 2026.
In the first phase of the most recent local bodies elections, the PTI could hardly win 17 tehsil council seats while Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) topped the results with 23 seats.
The disappointing election results prompted the Party chairman, Imran Khan, to appoint Pervez Khattak as PTI’s provincial president to bolster efforts for the second phase. Khattak toured various areas of the province to garner support of the electorate. Besides cleverly exploiting the cipher issue, the then prime minister Imran Khan, in gross violation of the election rules, addressed the election rallies in Upper Dir, Lower Dir and Swat. This also paid dividends to the party. The Election Commission of Pakistan fined him for this violation. However, PTI challenged the fine in court instead of paying it.
Besides cleverly exploiting the cipher issue, the then prime minister Imran Khan, in gross violation of the election rules, addressed the election rallies in Upper Dir, Lower Dir and Swat. This also paid dividends to the party.
Though PTI succeeded to stage a comeback in the second phase by securing 35 tehsil council seats, it was below the expectations in a province where PTI won two-thirds majority in the general elections just a few years back. In total, PTI bagged 52 tehsil councils (39 per cent of the total tehsil councils) while the remaining 79 tehsil councils were won by opposition parties.
JUI-F won 37, Awani National Party (ANP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) bagged 10 each, while Jamaat-i-Islami secured five, Pakistan Peoples Party four, Tehreek-e-Islahat Pakistan two; and Majlis-e-Wahdatul Muslimeen, Rah-e-Haq and Qaumi Watan Party clinched one each.
Promises without substance
PTI’s election manifestos in 2013, 2018, and 2024 prominently featured commitments to local government elections and strengthening the system. But the disappointing results of the previous local bodies elections made the PTI provincial government hesitant to release the pledged funds to tehsil councils.
Since the formation of the tehsil councils, the provincial government constantly pledged to release funds for the local bodies. In 2022, then minister for local bodies Faisal Amin Gandapur told the media-persons that the government would soon finalise the required rules to release funds.
But it was a dream which never came true.
Controversies
Recently on 19th December, ANP-affiliated Mardan City Mayor Himayatullah Mayar—who is also the president of Council Association Khyber Pakhtunkhwa which is a platform struggling to get the rights of the local councils—held a press conference at the Peshawar Press Club. He lamented that “three years have passed [since the first phase of the local government elections], and the provincial government continues using excuses like financial constraints or delays in rule approvals. Despite being part of PTI’s core manifesto, the KP government has failed to release funds to local governments.”
Earlier, on December 5, 2024 the provincial Finance Department announced the release of 3.66 billion rupees for 56 tehsil governments under the Provincial Finance Allocation for the first two quarters of the fiscal year.
Three years have passed [since the first phase of the local government elections], and the provincial government continues using excuses like financial constraints or delays in rule approvals. Despite being part of PTI’s core manifesto, the KP government has failed to release funds to local governments.” — ANP-affiliated Mardan City Mayor Himayatullah Mayar.
PTI included all the tehsils in the programme won by its candidates, except Nowshera tehsil which was won by the son of Pervez Khattak, a former PTI stalwart who later parted ways with the party to form his own. The other five tehsils which were included in list belonged to PML-N (three), JUI-F (one) and ANP (one).
Adding insult to injury, these funds were directed to the accounts of deputy commissioners instead of being directly allocated to tehsil chairpersons, triggering widespread criticism from opposition parties. They argued that development funds should be distributed across the entire province, not limited to a few districts.
A former provincial minister for local government, linked to Jamaat-i-Islami, Inayatullah Khan sees it systematic dismantling of the local government system. “Administrative powers for local governments were already curtailed, and for the past three years, they have been denied financial powers as well. Allocating 3.66 billion rupees to only select tehsils violates the Provincial Finance Commission’s principles.”
As per the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s 2017-18 Provincial Finance Commission formula, the funds shall be distributed among all the tehsils, keeping in mind the population, backwardness and lack of infrastructure.
Administrative powers for local governments were already curtailed, and for the past three years, they have been denied financial powers as well. Allocating 3.66 billion rupees to only select tehsils violates the Provincial Finance Commission’s principles.” Jamaat-i-Islami’s ex-minister Inayatullah Khan.
Regarding channelling the funds through the offices of deputy commissioners, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Local Government Arshad Ayub is of the view that development funds would now be disbursed through administrative channels of each department. “Previously, funds allocated to local governments faced auditing challenges. Thus, it was decided to channel funds through the District Accounts Office for local representatives.”
Taking strong exception to the new development, Jamaat-e-Islami’s legal cell petitioned the Peshawar High Court on December 10, 2024. But before any hearing in the case was held, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government withdrew the funds on December 18. According to a senior official in the Local Government Department, the funds were withdrawn as “further legal challenges were anticipated.”
Inayatullah, who also served as minister for local government in the PTI’s government from 2013-2018, reveals that during the 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2017-18 fiscal years Rs. 560 million were released to the local governments. Interestingly, PTI was the leading party in the local bodies election of 2015 in which it won 395 seats in all the district councils.
Funds not released
In subsequent budgets, funds were allocated for local governments but were never released. For instance, in 2021-22 budget, Rs. 21.3 billion were allocated, but not a single penny was released. In fiscal year 2022-23, Rs. 41 billion rupees were earmarked but no funds were released. A total of 35 billion rupees were set aside for local governments in 2023-24 budget, but again no funds were released.
Similarly, in the current budget, 30 billion rupees were allocated, with 24 billion for settled districts and 6 billion for tribal districts. Yet, six months into the fiscal year, these funds have yet to be released.
