Pakistan has spent decades debating how to make government more responsive to citizens, a debate that has gained renewed attention with recent calls for smaller provinces. Yet one of the most important pieces of that puzzle remains largely neglected: local government.

The country has repeatedly created local institutions, only to weaken, restructure or dissolve them. The result is a system in which political power remains concentrated at the federal and provincial levels, while citizens often lack access to responsive institutions capable of meeting their needs.

The 18th Constitutional Amendment of 2010 was an important step toward decentralisation. Yet while substantial powers were transferred from the federal government to the provinces, devolution largely stopped there. Provincial governments remained reluctant to transfer meaningful authority to elected local institutions.

The Constitution acknowledges local governance but does not stipulate how to make it work. Pakistan needs minimum national........

© The Express Tribune