PESHAWAR – The Pakistan Development Alliance (PDA), a coalition of civil society organisations, has warned that local democracy in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) is being hollowed out by what it calls the “Pioneer’s Paradox” – a system that appears progressive on paper but is subverted in practice.
In a newly released white paper titled The Pioneer’s Paradox: Local Governance in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, PDA argues that the province’s formula-based Provincial Finance Commission (PFC), often hailed as a model for other regions, has become little more than a façade. While the PFC regularly issues awards, the report finds that elected councils are denied control over these funds. Instead, spending is overseen by District Development Advisory Committees (DDACs), bodies dominated by provincial and national legislators.
The white paper highlights that the DDAC (Amendment) Act of 2024 entrenched this practice, granting legislator-led committees the power to approve and monitor all development schemes, effectively sidelining elected local governments. This erosion of autonomy has been compounded by the dissolution of local councils in January 2024, leaving KP without elected grassroots representation.
Civil society groups are now demanding urgent reform. They want the DDAC Act rolled back to restore the committees’ original advisory role, local elections to be held without delay, and all district funds under the PFC transferred directly to budgets controlled by elected tehsil councils. They also call for the long-pending notification of Rules of Business under the KP Local Government Act and the creation of an independent local government cadre to strengthen institutional capacity.
“Khyber Pakhtunkhwa presents a sophisticated model of centralisation,” said PDA spokesperson Zia Ur Rehman. “On the surface, it fulfils legal requirements by maintaining a PFC. But in reality, the system is neutralised by parallel political structures. This paradox must end. Power must return to the people.”
The white paper concludes that unless the “Pioneer’s Paradox” is dismantled, KP’s much-touted governance reforms will remain symbolic, denying citizens the local voice and accountability that democracy promises.
