Local Governments and Gilgit-Baltistan: An Analysis
By Usama Majeed
Local government is a cornerstone of democracy, ensuring the public’s vigilant participation in grass-roots decision-making. The famous philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau, in his work “Social Contract,” emphasizes the medium of the involvement between the government and the people. This principle of Rousseau is embodied by local government in terms of participation, accountability, and inclusivity.
Gilgit Baltistan has always faced several challenges in terms of governance because of its diversity and ambiguous legal status. The absence of local governments, despite the clear legal framework given under “The Gilgit Baltistan Local Government Act 2014,” has hindered the political nurturing and participation of the locals in decision-making. This lack of implementation has largely impacted on the political and social growth of the people.
Local government in Gilgit Baltistan has a profound history in the shape of customary laws, where the elders of the community used to address the issues in the localities based on customs and traditions. After 1947, Gilgit Baltistan remained under the governance of the federal where the administrators were appointed directly by the federal government. A benchmark step leading to a structured governance structure was taken in 2009 in the shape of the Gilgit Baltistan Empowerment and Self Governance Order which despite having limited administrative powers, however, ensures an engaging decision-making process. Following the Order, a Bill was introduced in the Gilgit Baltistan Legislative Assembly in 2014 which later became an Act titled ” The Gilgit Baltistan Local Government Act, 2014″ which provided a clear framework of the local governments in the region. Later in 2018, another significant move was made by the federal government giving Gilgit Baltistan more administrative powers in the shape of Gilgit Baltistan Order 2018. However, the promise of democratic representation at the grassroots level remains unfulfilled due to delays in operationalizing local government institutions.
Gilgit Baltistan today has no functional local government in the region. The elected provincial governments have immensely failed to hold the elections despite clear provisions of the Gilgit Baltistan Local Government Act 2014 for district, union, and village councils. This failure of the government has hindered the socioeconomic development and political nurturing of the people. The district administrations and the elected MLAs are struggling to cope with the growing developmental needs in the absence of operational local government bodies in the region.
The elected government of Gilgit Baltistan is not only bound to implement the Gilgit Baltistan Local Government Act 2014, But also provide adequate resources to hold local government elections and ensure division of power to the grass root level.
The lack of local government in Gilgit Baltistan not only has impacted the people socioeconomically but has also hindered the political nurturing of young leaders in the region. Who could have created a meaningful impact through their skills and services, if given a platform. This vacuum risks the political perspective of the youth in Gilgit Baltistan and if kept further deprived of political participation and resources, they can have an anti-state mindset which is otherwise harmful to the state and the federation.
Moreover, the absence of local governments in Gilgit Baltistan leads the region to a governance crisis. The authorities both federal and provincial have always termed finance and logistics as the main hurdles for local governments, But the political and other challenges like bureaucracy play a pivotal role in hindering the implementation of local governments’ framework in the region. The reluctance to empower local bodies may stem from fears of losing control or influence, particularly in a geopolitically sensitive region like Gilgit Baltistan. Moreover, the failure to implement the clear mandate of The Gilgit Baltistan Local Government Act 2014 has created a gap between policy and practice and also questions the credibility of the sitting elected government. For true progress, a paradigm shift is needed to prioritize democratic empowerment over political pragmatism.
Local governments play a pivotal role in promoting democracy, efficient service delivery, and inclusive decision-making. The need for a robust local government is stressful in order to succeed in sustainable development and ensure political stability with political maturity in Gilgit Baltistan. Keeping in view the strategic importance of the region, the absence of local government institutions not only impacts socio-economic development but will also shape the political mindset of young leaders of Gilgit Baltistan against the larger interest of the federation. So, to ensure political stability in the landscape and the operational local government, below are some recommendations that can help the government and the community at the same time:
- Conduct local government elections as soon as possible under the given framework in the Gilgit Baltistan Local Government Act 2014.
- Make necessary legislation/amendments to run the process smoothly and to ensure uninterrupted implementation of the Local government’s framework.
- Provide necessary resources and empower the local bodies to ensure inclusivity.
- Engage the youth in the process of local government operations to bring innovation to the process.
References:
- The Social Contract by Jean-Jacques Rousseau via sparknotes.com
- The Gilgit Baltistan Local Government Bill-2014
- Gilgit Baltistan Empowerment & Self Governance Oder 2009
- Gilgit Baltistan Order 2018
The contirbutor is a student at the Department of Governance and Public Policy, NUML, Islamabad.
