Local government in Pakistan
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| This article is part of a series on the politics and government of Pakistan |
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The 2001 Local Government Ordinance provides for devolution of government to district administrations. (Districts are the third tier of government, being sub-divisions of provinces. Prior to the Local Government Ordinance they were known as sub-divisions.) Each district administration is headed by a District Coordination Officer (DCO) and a Zila Nazim.
The District Coordination Officer is the administrative head of the District Administration. They have wide-ranging responsibility for overseeing, improving and directing the approved plans of the District Government.[1]
The Zila Nazim used to be the executive head of the District Administration until 2010, when the government gave their powers to the District Coordination Officers also. Their role is similar to district governor or prefect, with responsibility for implementing government strategy and developing initiatives arising out of it.[2]
History of Local body election
In order to decentralize administrative and financial authority to be accountable to Local Governments, for good governance, effective delivery of services and transparent decision making through institutionalized participation of the people at grassroots level, elections to the local government institutions are held after every four years on non party basis by the Chief Election Commissioner of Pakistan.
Members of Union Council including Union Administrator and Vice Union Administrator are elected through direct elections based on adult franchise and on the basis of joint electorate. However, for the election to the reserved seats for Women in Zila council proportionately divided among Tehsils or Towns shall be all members of the Union Councils in a Tehsil or Town. It is the responsibility of the Chief Election Commissioner to organize and conduct these elections. first local government election was held in 1959 under the dictatorship of ayub khan. Second local government election were held in 1979 under the dictatorship of General Zia ul haq. Third local government election was under right after the cope of Pervaiz Musharaf in 2000, and finally first time in history of Pakistan local body election held in Pakistan on December 7, 2013. Balochistan was the province where LB Polls held. Punjab, Sindh and KP are all set to conduct the polls due to the immense pressure of new merging political power of PTI on the central government of PMLN.