Introduction:

In the context of local governance, justifying the statement that un-elected institutions are more
powerful rather than elected parliament. Because unelected govt. who ruled over Pakistan have
made some important reforms as per the need of that ruling period. From 1947 to till date
Pakistan have been faced 3 eras in which the reforms of local governance experimented. That
three major models of reforms was in 1962, 1979 and 2001.the regimes was of Field Marshal
Ayub Khan (1958-59), General Zia-ul- Haq (1977-88) and General Pervaiz Musharaf (1999-
2007).

After Independence to Ayub’s Era:

Before Ayub, there was low GDP rate and there was low Local Service delivery and it was
increased Centralization. Local Body System was experimented after Ayub’s martial Law of
1958. Two ordinances were given by Ayub for local body. One of them is Basic Democracies
Ordinance 1959, for ruling rural areas and another one is The Municipalities Ordinance 1960,
for ruling urban areas. This system given the 4 tier system lower was Union level and higher was
having some elected and some nominated authorities as chairman. It was similar like British
system, and was controlled by Controlling Authorities like bureaucracy. (DC, Commissioners
and govt. of different tiers). There were continuities between Ayub’s management of urban and
local level. Like British, Ayub given huge funds to local governance through local level
members because he was having big support from such areas. Program design and
implementations was duty of local members.

The Era of Zia-ul-Haq:

Martial law imposed by General Zia–ul-Haq during his early time period, which was 1977 to
1985 and political centralization was achieved. Army created new class of politicians at local
level for dividing and ruling on them. That new class was known as competing class.
Zia started Local Bodies by giving Local Governance Ordinance 1979. District council was
given authorities to govern only rural areas. On that time period Zia started urbanization. Those
elections were non-party bases election. After making govt. due to this reason of non party
election, great tension arose in between provincial and local government. Which cause the
suspension of local bodies from 1993 to 1998.

Regime of Pervaiz Musharaf :

After imposing martial law, Musharaf got control of Govt. of Pakistan. He has given different
good plan, one of them was a Devolution Plan 2000 and it was devolution of powers. National
Reconstruction bureau was responsible for designing the plan. On august 14 th , 2001, Local
governance ordinance delivered to all four provinces.
The new local governance was three tier system such as district council (dist. Govt., city dist.
Govt., zila council), tehsil council (tehsil municipal administration, town municipal
administration, town council administration), and at village level union or union council.
The head of tehsil was Tehsil nazim and Assistant Commissioner reports him.Similiar like tehsil,
in district level District nazim act as head of district and DCO assist him in all official matters.
This system allowed public to participate in decision making.
Economic Assessments in un-elected Regimes:

Ayub Khan’s Regime Zia-ul-Haq’s Regime Musharaf’s Regime

In Ayub’s era the increase inIn Zia Era the increase in GDP Rapid growth measured.
GDP growth was measured growth rate was measured 3rd episode of aid
6.50% on average, 6.27% per annum. Better governance.
nd
2 aid episode. Devolution plans.
1st aid episode,
Resources utilization, Public sector enhanced its Privatizations.
Investments in water and operations. Many other infrastructural and
power sector, Good growth. developmental achievements.
Green revolutions, Improved agriculture.
Better quality of services. Decline in quality of
governance.
Islamization.
Economic Assessments in Elected Parliamentarian’s Regimes:

Democratic Beginnings Yahya & Zulfiqar’s Regime Benazir & Nawaz Regime

There was low economic In Yahya’s & Bhutto’s regime BeNazir:

growth due to new born
country.
It was a time of high cost of
defense.
There was low utilization of
resources.
Delivering public services and
quality of governance was
moderate.
Economic Assesment of pre-devolution plan Govt:
GDP was 4.5% which was
actually 2% decrease in GDP
per annum,
Aid stoppage,
Nationalization of different
institutions,
Low quality of governance.
The GDP growth rate was
measured 5.4% per annum
(decreased).
The afghan war ended.
The aid stoppage.
Privatization.
Decline in governance.
Failed to make relations with
IMF and WB.
Nawaz Sharif:
The growth rate in GDP was
assessed 5.97% per annum.
No aid received.
Low level quality of
governance.
Taxes imposed.
Privatization of institutions.

Nawaz:
The crises of foreign reserve started. Growth
rate came under 4%. Kargil war, heavy interest
imposed, economic crises due to bomb
exposure.
Benazir:
The GDP growth rate was assessed 4% per
annum. 14% inflation was recorded instead of
expected target of 5%. Unrest and voilance in
Karachi.

After discussing three regimes and after checking economic assessments we came in to this
result that military regimes (un-elected) are best so far rather than elected because in every
unelected regime powers are shifted to grass root level and reforms for local level governance
have been made. If we see GDP so its continuously increasing in unelected regimes. The recent
system given by Gen. Pervaiz Musharaf was accurate because it eliminates centralization.