Responsible democracy is being strengthened throughout Pakistan.

1. LG Elections
in Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa
A Proposal

2. Local governments are recognized
as engines of growth and
development in the modern
world. National Reconstruction
Bureau
facilitated
and
strengthened local government
elections and system in Pakistan.
Last year after May 2013
elections, Supreme Court of
Pakistan
directed
elected
provincial governments to hold
local government elections by the
end of February 2014.
Owing to acute law and order
situation, provincial governments
claimed that it was difficult to
hold elections. However,
Government of Balochistan held
elections last year. Lately
Government of Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa led by Pakistan
Tehreek-e-Insaf has announced
for the local government elections
to be held in April 2014.

3. It is a good political growth but
there has to take several
measures to hold free, fair and
transparent elections throughout
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Experts still
have bad memories of general
elections in Haripur and Swat.
Candidates filed petitions for repolling in these constituencies.
Female voters’ turnout of NWFP
in local government 2005
elections was the lowest i.e. 21%.
It is key responsibility of
government to provide security to
the election candidates and
voters. NGOs, Election
Commission of Pakistan and
donors particularly Democracy
Reporting International must
educate voters for higher turnout.
Pashto-Urdu Election Booklet
must be printed and distributed in
March 2014. Primary school
teachers especially females should
not be used on the polling day.
Hopefully Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf would be able to hold first
free and fair LG elections in April
2014.

4. Sajid Imtiaz
Expert Member, CDKN
Member, Pakistan Society of Criminology
Feedback: sajedimtiaz@hotmail.com