Lahore: Acting Governor Punjab and Speaker of the Punjab Assembly Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan on Tuesday said meaningful devolution of powers to the grassroots, a strong local government system and the empowerment of elected representatives in accordance with the Constitution were indispensable for ensuring effective governance, strengthening democracy and improving public service delivery in Pakistan.
Addressing a roundtable conference titled ‘Governance: Lekin Nizam Kya?’, organised by the Centre for Policy and Nation Building at the University of Lahore, he said governance should not remain confined to academic discussions but should become part of a sustained national dialogue aimed at enhancing citizens’ quality of life.
The conference was attended by Chairman Board of Governors of the University of Lahore Awais Raoof, legal experts, academics, lawyers, intellectuals, students and representatives of various segments of society.
Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan said the relationship between the state and its citizens was founded on a social contract that obliged the state to provide essential civic services, including healthcare, sanitation, drainage and other basic facilities, while making citizens active stakeholders in governance.
Expressing concern over the state of local governance, he said many rural areas continued to lack effective local government institutions and adequate municipal services, describing the situation as one of Pakistan’s foremost governance challenges.
He said the success of democracy should be measured by its ability to improve the daily lives of ordinary citizens, adding that public confidence in democratic institutions diminished when governance failed to deliver tangible improvements in living standards.
Referring to the Constitution, he said it envisaged the transfer of administrative authority to elected representatives and stressed the need to realise that constitutional objective in its true spirit through genuine decentralisation.
The acting governor said Pakistan faced political, economic and administrative challenges that required all state institutions and political forces to work within their constitutional domains and pursue collective decision-making in the larger national interest.
Emphasising democratic values, he said political dialogue, tolerance for differing viewpoints and respect for dissent were essential for the stability and maturity of democratic institutions.
He said safeguarding citizens’ rights remained the state’s foremost responsibility, adding that proposals regarding new provinces or administrative reforms should be debated through an inclusive national dialogue with due consideration to public opinion.
Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan said Pakistan’s democratic future depended on strengthening institutions rather than individuals, upholding the rule of law, ensuring transparent accountability, establishing an effective local government system and empowering elected representatives in line with the Constitution.