Ahsan Calls For Taking Devolution To Grassroots As Benefits Remain Elusive After 15 Years
ISLAMABAD, (APP – UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News – 9th Sep, 2026)
Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Professor Ahsan Iqbal, on Wednesday stated that the advantages of devolution have not reached the grassroots level over the past 15 years, emphasizing the necessity of transferring powers and resources to local governments for efficient service delivery and development.
Addressing the national inception workshop and launch of the Technical Working Group on “Integrated Land & Water Use Planning,” he said devolution itself was not the issue, but its implementation had halted at the provincial level.
"It is not that devolution was wrong; it should have been devolution. The whole world is being devolved,” the minister remarked, stressing that powers should also flow from provinces to district and municipal governments.
He pointed out that while the 18th Amendment in 2010 devolved substantial responsibilities to the provinces, local governments were not provided with corresponding powers and resources.
“If you give a local government a responsibility, but there is no power or resources behind that responsibility, then that responsibility becomes a burden,” he observed.
Ahsan Iqbal argued that Pakistan needed a development ecosystem based on effective coordination between the federation and provinces, coupled with empowered local institutions capable of translating national priorities into improved services and outcomes.
He highlighted the significance of this, especially in agriculture, which remains a crucial driver of the national economy and a major source of livelihoods, food security, and export potential.
Despite its agricultural resources, Pakistan has become a net agricultural importer, importing around $4-5 billion worth of agricultural products annually, he noted.
The minister suggested that the country should transition from relying on agricultural imports to becoming a food-exporting economy by enhancing productivity and fully utilizing its land and water resources.
However, he cautioned, this objective cannot be achieved without safeguarding productive farmland from unchecked urban expansion.
“Agriculture and food do not grow in the air. Agriculture and food grow on land,” he emphasized, advocating for evidence-based land-use planning and vertical, rather than horizontal, urban expansion.
He called for protecting productive agricultural areas, such as citrus orchards in Sargodha, mango orchards in Multan, and areas cultivating high-quality basmati rice around Gujranwala, from unplanned urbanization.
“Productive farmland and urban growth needs to be harmonized,” Ahsan said, stressing the need for balanced development.
