Ahsan Iqbal Backs Hamza’s Local Government Law
Mian Nadeem
Published September 08, 2026 | 10:21 PM
Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal has revealed that the PML-N is discussing the 2025 local government law.
Speaking on a private television programme, Iqbal stated that the local government law approved by former Chief Minister Hamza Shahbaz in 2022 was superior to the one introduced by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz in 2025. He attributed this to several flaws in the latter, specifically:
- Making deputy commissioners vicereine of local government institutions.
- A lack of devolution of power from provinces to grassroots levels.
Iqbal further asserted that the law's design could enable extremists to infiltrate the system. He also mentioned that all chief ministers were informed during a presentation that while economic indicators had stabilized, social indicators remained poor, reflecting the status of African countries.
The federal minister highlighted the advantages of the 2022 local government law, which includes provisions for mayors and district governments. He compared abolishing district governments under the new law to appointing deputy commissioners as viceroys over local institutions.
Iqbal proposed forming a committee of senior PML-N leaders to review specific aspects of the 2025 local government system. He also noted that Islamabad lacks a local government with legislative powers and that its budget is not under the control of its residents.
Regarding rising petrol prices, Iqbal attributed them to regional factors. He mentioned Jamaat-e-Islami's proposals for providing subsidies through savings in certain areas as an alternative.
Iqbal emphasized that the government does not set the policy rate; the State Bank determines it. He stated that Jamaat-e-Islami’s proposals would be implemented promptly if deemed feasible after being sent to relevant ministries. A further meeting with the Jamaat-e-Islami team is scheduled for Thursday.