The process of local body elections is a constitutional requirement. Its purpose is to transfer power to the lower level as well as enable the people to make clean and transparent people a part of this process and to bring forward those who serve through voting, have passion, and solve people’s problems at their doorstep. According to the law, the democracy of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan consists of three tires which include national, provincial and local governments. These are all important because everyone has their own scope and method but the most important among them is local government because it provides a very honest, sensible and transparent leadership for the country and the nation.
The system of local government is implemented in all democracies under different names. Local governments are free in the area to decide and act. The system of local government today was introduced in the subcontinent five thousand years ago. This system continued to go through various stages and Akbar-e-Azam’s Minister of Finance changed it according to the public mood and the Mughal dynasty continued to rule the Indian subcontinent under this system.
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Understanding the matter better
As mentioned above, the local government is, in fact, the backbone of democracy and national development. Parties that avoid holding local elections or do not transfer power to local body representatives after holding elections cannot be democratic political parties at all. Democracy began in Greece. At that time, the states consisted of one city. People elected their representatives directly or by direct vote. At first, voting and governing were considered only the right of the nobles, but with the passage of time, the common man was given the right to vote and then later the common man was also elected to the government.
It was the best model of government that brought the Greeks to the pinnacle of knowledge and development at that time. Even today, civic, municipal, or local governments are the key to development and prosperity. There are strong local governments all over the world, including the United States, Britain, European and socialist countries. The continuity of the centuries has now transformed them into institutions that are playing an important role in local development. This is also called direct democracy.
The main purpose of local governments is to carry out development work such as education, health, employment, roads, water and sanitation. Similarly, it is also possible to resolve people’s issues. Their duties include ensuring law and order in the area and preventing robberies.
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The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) released the schedule for local body elections in Balochistan in earlier April, according to which local body elections areheld on May 29.After 9 years, local body elections are held in Balochistan. The competition was held among more than 16 thousand candidates.
Balochistan is the largest province of Pakistan in terms of area
The province is also unique in that it shares a long border with Iran and Afghanistan. Gwadar opened the way for trade and industrial development in the whole province. In this way, employment can be provided to millions of young men here. A prosperous province can be established by utilizing the barren lands here. The people of Balochistan, including both Baloch and Pashtuns, are passionate about the development of their province. However, Balochistan is in a lot of trouble due to the handiwork of foreign elements.
While the terrorist activities of these foreign elements are hindering the development of the province, the real power of the hostile elements is to make the young generation a victim of misguidance. In these circumstances, the Armed Forces of Pakistan are not moving with the determination to ensure internal and external security at all costs and are not only performing their duties in the difficult routes and difficult conditions of Balochistan but also maintaining the continuity of the democratic system there, they used all their resources to hold the local body elections peacefully.
Despite the recent incidents of terrorism in Balochistan, peaceful local body elections are proof to foreign observers that Pakistan lives in the hearts of the Baloch people and our forces fulfill their responsibility to maintain law and order by sacrificing their lives. The peace-loving people are grateful which was expressed by the people of Balochistan at the local body elections.
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As the local body elections in Balochistan are gaining People’s confidence that it will not only ensure democracy in the province but will also guarantee to resolve the problems of the people and develop the resources of the province, and will lessen the sense of deprivation among Baloch people. The government will work day and night to eradicate all the negative actions and propaganda of the anti-development elements of the province and will pledge security to the developmental projects and to the entire province as well.
The writer is a freelancer and media activist. She writes on political developments and security issues with a special focus on South Asia and the region. The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Global Village Space.