Local bodies destroyed nationwide, not even exist in Punjab: Khawaja Asif

ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said that administrative powers remain largely limited to provincial governments in Pakistan, leaving rural and remote areas without proper representation and development opportunities.

Speaking in the National Assembly on the floods situation in Pakistan, Khwaja Asif stressed the the need for genuine devolution of power at the grassroots level and said that if authority and resources are shared with local governments, it will greatly benefit the people living in villages and rural areas.

“Many take credit for amendments to local government laws, what truly matters is the practical empowerment of these institutions. We must move beyond political point-scoring and focus on strengthening local bodies,” Khwaja Asif said.

“Unfortunately, we use local governments as political tools rather than service delivery mechanisms.”

He added that Pakistan lags behind in conducting regular local elections and, in many cases, even lacks a clear legal framework for them.

“local bodies are destroyed in the country and in in Punjab, they don’t even exist.”

Commenting on the recent floods in Pakistan, Khawaja Asif rejected the notion that these are purely natural calamities.

“It is wrong to call floods a natural disaster alone – these are largely the result of our own negligence,” he said while urging ll political stakeholders to set aside their differences and commit to empowering local governments for the greater good of the public.

‘Small dams should be built’

The defence minister also called for construction of small dams across the country to tackle looming water scarcity and mitigate flood devastation.

“Small dams should be built nationwide instead of waiting decades for mega projects. We cannot afford to let every year’s floods become another tragedy. This is a national issue that requires unity and urgent action,” he remarked.

‘Housing societies on waterways’

He said while climate change was triggered globally by human actions, Pakistan’s devastation had been aggravated by encroachments on riverbeds, unregulated housing schemes, and construction on natural waterways.

Recalling that the country had faced its third or fourth major catastrophe in the last 12–14 years, he said little corrective action had been taken.

“We built hotels and housing colonies on riverbeds, treating them like drains, and nature has reacted. Every year, billions are lost, but encroachments remain intact,” he noted.