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, saying the Act centralizes power and undermines the constitutional framework of local government.

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

Legal expert Sheikh Sibghat Ullah said Article 140A of the Constitution guaranteed autonomous and democratically elected local governments with political, administrative and financial authority. He said the new law weakens that 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 domination, and the reduced role of elected representatives. Electoral expert Tahir Mehdi said successive local government laws had restricted democratic development, and this act followed the same pattern.

Local government expert Zahid Islam opposed indirect election of top 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, wider inclusion under Article 32 and a separate constitutional chapter on local governments. He also said that reserved seats increased marginalization and called for elections on the basis of a common electorate.

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

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

PML-N lawmakers Bushra Lodhi and Qudisa Batool argued that the law would help resolve issues at the local level.

Participants criticized the legislative process, noting that the law was passed the same day it was presented, amid an opposition walkout, raising questions about transparency. PTI representative Imtiaz Mehmood said the law effectively removed the role of political parties, an issue currently being contested in court.

Concluding the consultation, HRCP Punjab Vice President Raja Ashraf said that elections in Pakistan had historically remained 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 instead of devolving power.