According to the Economic Survey of Pakistan-2024-25, the country’s GDP is US $ 411 billion (PKR 114,692 billion) and the Per Capita Income stands at US $ 1,824 (PKR 516,192). According to the Census-2023, country’s population is 241.5 million that makes it the fifth populous county in the world. Recently, The World Bank counted poverty...

There has much been written on local governments in Pakistan, this study provides unique data, historical background information, evolution of local governments systems, constitutional mandates and status of local governments in Pakistan, issues of constitutional protection to the local governments, budgetary issues, budget making process, financial provisions and comparative analysis of bare acts and various...

Local Governance Profile SINDHThis chapter analyzes the state of local governance in Sindh, where a unique paradox has taken root: legally elected local governments exist, yet they remain systematically paralyzed and non-functional. The analysis reveals that this is not a result of administrative oversight but a deliberate provincial strategy of withholding the financial resources and...

Local Governance Profile PUNJABThis chapter analyzes the state of local governance in Punjab, Pakistan’s most populous and administratively dominant province. Despite frequent legislative activity and multiple local government laws since 2001, Punjab’s experience has been defined by discontinuity, executive control, and a lack of genuine political will. This analysis examines the paradox of “Legislative Motion...

nation’s democratic health is built upon a true foundation of empowered local governance. As the closest interface between the citizen and the state, local governments are essential for responsive service delivery, inclusive development, and the cultivation of a participatory democratic culture. In Pakistan, this principle is unequivocally enshrined in Article 140-A of the Constitution, which...

Local Governance Profile Khyber PakhtunkhwaThis chapter analyzes the state of local governance in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), a province that presents a unique paradox. While historically at the forefront of local governance legislation, its progress has been consistently undermined by a political culture that subverts its own reforms through parallel structures and engineered instability. This analysis...

Local Governance Profile – Islamabad Capital TerritoryThis chapter analyzes the unique case of local governance in the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT). As a federally administered territory, it possesses a unique legal status. This analysis examines the institutional conflict between the promise of devolution embodied by the Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI) and the reality of centralized...

Local Governance Profile BalochistanThis chapter examines the state of local governance in Balochistan, a province where the constitutional promise of devolution has been rendered inert through prolonged and systemic neglect. The analysis reveals an architecture of control, defined by a decade-long fiscal starvation due to a dormant Provincial Finance Commission (PFC) and an opaque development...

Public procurement represents a powerful tool for shaping market behaviours and advancing responsible business conduct. In the European Union (EU), it accounts for approximately 15% of GDP – nearly €2 trillion annually1 – giving public authorities significant influence over working conditions, environmental sustainability and human rights in global supply chains. By integrating social and environmental...