On May 07, 2026, WISE organized a provincial public forum titled “Strengthening Local Governments in Punjab: Perspectives and Way Forward” on the Punjab Local Government Act 2025. The forum brought together approximately 130 participants from Lahore, Sheikhupura, Nankana Sahib, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, and Kasur, including women, youth, civil society representatives, political activists, academia, lawyers, local governance experts, and community leaders.
WISE, a registered women-led social organization working for women’s rights, labor rights, democratic governance, and local government strengthening in Pakistan, facilitated the dialogue to develop collective consensus on reforms and immediate local elections. The first session was chaired by Bushra Khaliq, with key speakers including Syed Abdul Khaliq and Dr. Shakila Sindhu. The second session was chaired by Tanzeer Jahan, with speakers including Muhammad Tahseen, Dr. Ayesha, Ishtiaq Choudhary, and Muhammad Zahid Islam.
Participants unanimously adopted a resolution highlighting key concerns and reform proposals, including the need for structural reforms in the local government system, especially in major urban centers where overlapping administrative arrangements between district authorities and town corporations create inefficiencies. The forum recommended restoring metropolitan corporations in major cities with clearly defined town structures for improved governance.
It was further recommended that union councils should be redesigned based on population size, with each representing 25,000 to 30,000 people, and subdivided into nine single-member wards instead of multi-member structures. Participants also demanded direct elections for all seats, increased women’s representation from 14 percent to at least 33 percent across all tiers of local government, and inclusion of political party-based panels in elections.
The forum emphasized strengthening fiscal decentralization by allocating at least 25 percent of the provincial consolidated fund to local governments through the Finance Commission, along with restoring traditional revenue streams to local bodies. Participants urged the Government of Punjab and elected representatives to immediately consider these recommendations through legislative amendments or ordinance, and called upon the Election Commission to finalize delimitations and urgently announce a schedule for local government elections in Punjab without delay.
