GOVT. MURRAY COLLEGE, SIALKOT

Federation of Pakistan POL-101 Assignment Given by: Sir Khurram

Syed Shahrukh Kamal – Roll # 02 – BS Islamic Studies – 3rd Semester

1/5/2014

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Introduction Everything in the world has a central point around which its elements and components revolves.

In Science, atoms revolve around a nucleus, the components of solar system revolve around sun,

the moons revolve around their particular planets etc. In History, everything revolves around

time. Similarly, in Political Science everything revolves around power and politics. Hence, state

revolves around its government. In every field, mentioned above or the likes of them, when the

circle increases, the power decreases. In Chemistry, the far the atoms are, the less attraction they

have with nucleus.

The traditional concepts of state had some limited numbers of population as we see that Plato

restricted it to 5040 in his book Republic1 2. The pristine thinkers of were in favour of city-states

rather than large states. Even Rousseau didn’t went much far and limited the ideal population

to 10,0003. However, with the passage of time, the modern concept discarded this view of

population and the modern states started increasing in population as well as area. It became

difficult for one central government to administer a large state from the capital. So, for the

administrative convenience, the state is divided into a number of small administrative units

(areas), which are variously called provinces (like in Pakistan), States (like in America), cantons

(like in Switzerland), departments, counties, etc. Their subdivisions are called districts, tehsils,

etc. This division leads to two kinds of systems, viz. unitary system and federal system.

Without such systems, there would be an immense increase of work load on central government,

badly resulting in its output.

The blue colour represents the states with unitary system while the green colour represents the federating states.

1 Introduction to Political Science, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Sarwar, pg. 33. 2 Political Science: Theory and Practice, Mazhar ul Haq, pg. 135. 3 Ibid.

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Federation The word federation is derived from the Latin word foedus. In a federal system, the supreme

powers in the State are constituently divided between the central government and the regional

governments (the government of federating units). Generally, the nationally important matters

are taken care by the central government while the regionally important matters are taken care

by the regional governments. These two sets of this dual government exercise supreme and

original authority. The division of power can be altered by an amendment in constitution.

Definitions

According to Hamilton

A federation is an association of States forming a new one4.

A federation is an organisation of States that gives birth to a new union5.

According to Montesqieu

It is a convention through which different states organise themselves into a

wider union6.

According to Dicey

It is a political contrivance intended to reconcile national unity with the

maintenance of state rights7 8.

According to Oxford Dictionary

Federation is a group of states with a central government but independence in

internal affairs, e.g. the Russian Federation9.

According to Wikipedia

A federation (Latin: foedus, foederis, 'covenant'), also known as a federal state, is

a political entity characterized by a union of partially self-governing states or

regions under a central (federal) government. In a federation, the self-governing

status of the component states, as well as the division of power between them and

the central government, are typically constitutionally entrenched and may not be

altered by a unilateral decision of either party, the states or the federal political

body10.

4 Political Science: Theory and Practice, Mazhar ul Haq, pg. 387. 5 Introduction to Political Science, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Sarwar, pg. 160. 6 Ibid. 7 Ibid. 8 Political Science: Theory and Practice, Mazhar ul Haq, pg. 387. 9 http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/federation 10 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federation

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Federation of Pakistan

Historical Background Pakistan gained independence as a Dominion of the British Commonwealth of Nations. The

government of Pakistan had to function under the two documents: the Independence Act 1947

and the Government of India Act 1935 (GOI Act 1935), as an interim constitution11. So, federal

system, rather than unitary system, was an output of the Government of India Act 1935. Balveer

Arora12 said in his paper13,

The seeds of the federal idea were already present in the Government of India

Act 1935, which attempted to contain rising national sentiment with the grant of

limited provincial autonomy.

On 12th March, 1949, the first Prime Minister of Pakistan, Liaquat Ali Khan, presented the

Objective Resolution which was passed by the first Constituent Assembly. However, there was

no further progress. With the election of the Second Constituent Assembly, held on 23rd June

1955, and the Ch. Muhammad Ali becoming the new Prime Minister, the work again took

motion and the draft of the first constitution of Pakistan was presented on 23rd January, 1956. It

was approved on 29th February, 1956. With the acceptance of the first constitution of Pakistan,

in 1956, it became a federation.

However, the elections were not held under this constitution and the General Ayub Khan

overtook the country through Martial Law, on 7th October 1958, announcing the failure of

parliamentary democracy. Gen. Ayub Khan constituted a Constitution Commission that

prepared a draft, holding all powers with the President. It was enforced on 8th June, 1962. With

the resignation of the President, Gen. Ayub, on 25th March, 1969, due to mass-movement

against him, Gen. Muhammad Yahya Khan proclaimed Martial Law and abrogated the existing

constitution.

After the separation of Bangladesh, on 16th December, 1971, the power was transferred to

Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, on 20th December, 1971, by the military regime. He imposed interim

constitution on 12th April, 1972. Later, a permanent constitution was presented to the Assembly,

which was passed in April, 1973, and enforced on 14th August, 1973. Thus, the federation of

Pakistan is operating under the Constitution of 1973.

11 Pakistan Studies, M. R. Kazimi, Chapter 32, pg. 177. 12 Former Rector and Pro Vice Chancellor, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi and currently Chairman, Centre for Multilevel Federalism at the Institute of Social Sciences, New Delhi. 13 Governing Federal India: Political Institutions for a Diverse Society and a Resurgent Economy. Special Issue on ‘La Renaissance de l’Inde’ of the Societe de Strategie, Paris, Revue AGIR, No 44, December 2010, pp 23-31. https://www.academia.edu/450285/Governing_Federal_India_Political_Institutions_for_a_Diverse_Society_and_a_Resurgent_Economy

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Structure of Federation of Pakistan To run the administration of Federal Government, it has been divided into three branches, viz.

legislature, executive and judiciary. Legislature (or Majlis-e-Shura) is for legislation, executive is

for implementing the laws made by the legislature, and the judiciary is for interpreting the laws.

Majlis-e-Shura Majlis-e-Shura is divided into two houses:

1. Lower house called National Assembly.

2. Upper house called Senate.

National Assembly

National Assembly is comprised of 342 members. The details are given in the following table.

Areas Seats for Men Seats for Women

Punjab 148 35

Sindh 61 14

KPK 35 8

Balochistan 14 3

Islamabad 2 -

Tribal Areas 12 -

Minorities 10

Senate

Senate is comprised of 104 members, elected on the basis of equal representation of the

provinces. 22 senators, including technocrats and women, are elected from each province. 4

senators, including 1 technocrat and 1 woman, are elected from Islamabad. 8 senators are

elected from Tribal Areas. Remaining 4 senators are elected from minorities. All of these

senators are elected for 6 years by the respective provincial assembly. Half of the senators retire

after three years and are replaced by new members, whereas senators from Islamabad and

Tribal Areas are elected by National Assembly.

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Functions of Parliament Equal powers are given to both of the houses of Majlis-e-Shura, while National Assembly in

given power in financial matters. Budget is passed exclusively by National Assembly. Few other

functions of Majlis-e-Shura are following.

Legislation The legislation for the country is done by Majlis-e-Shura. Both of the houses are granted equal

powers for legislation. For example, if one bill is passed by one house, it goes to the second for

ratification and vice versa. The Majlis-e-Shura can make laws in the federal list and the

concurrent list.

Supervision of Executive Majlis-e-Shura controls the executive. The Prime Minister and his Cabinet are accountable

before the Parliament. They give the answers of the questions individually or collectively during

the question hour. The Prime Minister and his Cabinet can continue their offices till they have

the confidence of National Assembly.

Financial Functions The lower house of the Parliament, the National Assembly passes budget every year. The

Government cannot spend a penny without the approval of the Parliament. Likewise, the

Government can impose or withdraw a tax with the approval of the Parliament.

Judicial Function The both houses of the Parliament can fix the limit of judges of the Supreme Court, and can give

approval for other matters regarding their service.

Electoral Functions The both houses of the Majlis-e-Shura elect the President. The National Assembly elects the

Prime Minister, Speaker and Deputy Speaker, and likewise the Senate elects the Chairman and

Deputy Chairman.

Amendment in the Constitution The both houses of the Majlis-e-Shura can introduce an amendment in the Constitution, in joint

session or in separate sessions with two third majority of the total membership.

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Federal Executive

President’s Secretariat The President’s Secretariat is situated in Islamabad and works under the control of the

President of Pakistan. It has close cooperation with the Prime Minister’s Secretariat and Central

Secretariat, and gets information from then, and gives directions to them.

Prime Minister’s Secretariat It is the highest executive office of the Federal Government, which supervises all other offices of

the Government. It is working under the direct control of the Prime Minister, who is

accountable to the Parliament for its working.

Central Secretariat Central Secretariat comprises Ministries and Divisions. Presently, there are about 33 Ministries

and 42 Divisions in the Central Secretariat.

Ministry It comprises one or two Divisions. It formulates policies and implements them. The political

head of the Ministry is Federal Minister, while its administrative head is Secretary, an officer of

BS-22. The Federal Minister works as liaison between the Prime Minister and the Ministry. He

keeps informed the Prime Minister and the Division.

Divisions It is complete administrative unit like ministry, and functions on the same pattern. Its political

head is Minister for State and administrative head is Additional Secretary, an officer of BS-21.

The Minister for State also works as a liaison between the Prime Minister and the Division.

Attached Department Every Minister or Division has one or more attached departments. Attached department helps

the Ministry or Division in formulating the policies and are responsible for the implementation

of those policies.

Subordinate Office Every attached Department has many subordinate offices, which perform special functions. The

head of the subordinate office is known as Director or Administrator.

Autonomous or Semi-Autonomous Bodies Every Ministry or Division controls numerous autonomous or semi-autonomous bodies. These

institutions decide the matters without delay and perform their useful role in national

development. Nowadays, the number of autonomous bodies is increasing day by day in

Pakistan.

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Important Officials

President of Pakistan The President is the head of the state, who is elected by the members of both houses and

members of provincial assemblies for the term of five years. The President of Pakistan acts upon

the advice of the Prime Minister. He ratifies the bills passed by the Parliament or returns for

reconsideration. He issues ordinances relating to certain matters about which there exists no

law or code. These ordinances become laws when they are approved by the Parliament. He

appoints ambassadors in different countries and receives nomination papers of the ambassadors

of other countries. He can declare emergency in the country due to an internal or external crisis.

Prime Minister The Prime Minister is the head of the federal government. He is elected by the National

Assembly for the term of five years. He has a Cabinet for his assistance. The Prime Minister

nominates the members of the Parliament for his Cabinet. The Prime Minister and his Cabinet

are accountable before the Parliament for its working. The Prime Minister has all executive

powers, including legislation, budgeting and defence of the country.

Federal Cabinet It comprises Prime Minister and other Ministers, who run the affairs of the Federal

Government. There are two types of ministers in the Federal Cabinet i.e. Federal Minister and

Ministers for State, who remain in offices till the pleasure of the Prime Minister or the consent

of the Parliament.

Federal Minister

The Federal Minister is the political head of the Ministry and works as a liaison between the

Prime Minister and the Ministry. He represents his Ministry in the Parliament and gives the

answers to the questions regarding his ministry.

Minister for State

The Minister for State is the political head of the Division and works as a liaison between the

Prime Minister and his Division. He represents his Division in the Parliament and answers the

questions related to his Division.

Secretary The Secretary is administrative head of the Ministry and is the most senior officer (BS-22) of the

Federal Government. He helps the Federal Minister in formulating policies and in running

administration. He submits his proposals to the Prime Minister through his Minister and

notifies the same after approval. The Secretary not only formulates the policy but also

implements it. He supervises the division, the attached departments, subordinate offices and

autonomous and semi-autonomous institutions.

Additional Secretary Additional Secretary is administrative head of the Division and is the senior officer (BS-21) of

Federal Government. He helps the Minister for State in policy formulation and decision making.

He submits his proposals to the Prime Minister and notifies the same, after the approval. He

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performs the duties, which a Secretary performs in his Ministry. When he works as a

subordinate to Secretary, he follows his directions.

Joint Secretary Join Secretary is an officer (BS-20) of Federal Government. He is junior to Additional Secretary.

He helps the Additional Secretary and conveys his orders to the subordinates. He forwards the

reports of the subordinates. He is in charge of a wing and is responsible for tis proper

functioning.

Deputy Secretary Deputy Secretary is an officer (BS-19) of Federal Government. He is junior officer among the lot.

He receives orders from above and sends to the Section officers. He receives reports from the

Section Officers and sends it to the Joint Secretary. He neither decides nor helps in

implementing the decisions. He only supervises the officials of his branch.

Section Officer The Section Officer is an officer (BS-17 or BS-18) of Federal Government. He is in charge of his

section and supervises the daily routine of the section. He implements the orders of high ups,

and supervises his staff.

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Supreme Court The apex court of the Federation is Supreme Court, whose headquarters is in Islamabad and its

benches are working in Lahore, Peshawar, Quetta and Karachi. The Supreme Court comprises

Chief Justice and judges, whose number is determined by the Parliament. The President of

Pakistan appoints the Chief Justice and other judges after the consultation of Chief Justice, who

can continue in their offices up to the age of 65.

Powers of Supreme Court

Original

The Supreme Court of Pakistan has the original jurisdiction in cases, which are between the

centre and the provinces or between one province and the other.

Appellant Jurisdiction

The Supreme Court has the appellant jurisdiction against the decisions of all the High Courts.

Advisory Status

The President of Pakistan can seek advice from the Supreme Court on any matter of national

importance. The advice is not a binding on the President.

Supervisory Authority

The Supreme Court has the supervisory authority over all the High Courts. The Chief Justice can

recommend the names for Chief Justices of all High Courts to the President for appointment,

which is a binding upon him.

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Provincial Governments and their Functions The organisation and functioning of provincial governments are like the Federal Government.

There are provincial secretariats, attached departments, subordinate offices and autonomous

and semi-autonomous institutions at provincial level, and they function like the offices of

Federal Government. The provincial governments have the jurisdiction over education, health,

agriculture, provincial taxes, communication and many other departments. The organisation of

the Provincial Government is as under.

Governor Governor is the head of the province and is appointed by the President. He can continue in the

office till the pleasure of the President. He can summon the session of the Provincial Assembly,

or address it or dissolve it on the advice of the Chief Minister. He runs the administration of the

province with the consultation of the Chief Minister. He issues ordinances, if they are needed.

Chief Minister The Chief Minister is the head of the government of the province. He is elected by the Provincial

Assembly for the term of five years. He is a political head of the provincial executive and is

assisted by the Chief Secretary. The Chief Minister controls the administration of the province

through the Chief Secretary and improves its functioning. He is head of Cabinet, which is

constituted by his own will. He is responsible for law and order of the province. He is the leader

of the Provincial Assembly, therefore, he control it fully. He supervises the legislation of the

Assembly.

Cabinet There is a Provincial Cabinet in each province, whose members are nominated by the Chief

Minister. Each Minister is the head of his respective department and works as a liaison between

the Chief Minister and the department. He informs the Chief Minister about the policies and

workings of the department and being a political head of the department, he is accountable

before him.

Chief Secretary The Chief Secretary is an administrative head of the province, who is the senior most member of

bureaucracy. He is Secretary of the Provincial Cabinet and is responsible for the implementation

of its decisions.

The Chief Secretary is the Chairman of the Committee of secretaries, and reviews their working

their working and issues directions to them off and on.

The Chief Secretary remains aware about the activities of all departments. The Secretary of each

department is the subordinate of the Chief Secretary and accountable to him for his working.

Secretary Secretary is an administrative head of the respective department. He is an officer of BS-20. He

works as a special assistant to Minister of his department, and advises him in policy making,

and provides information about the working of department. The Secretary supervises his

department and makes sure the implementation of programmes and policies of the government.

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There are many assistants to Secretary like Additional Secretary, Deputy Secretary and Section

Officer, who assist him in performing the duties. He supervises his subordinate staff, and gets

advice from other departments in preparation of summaries for Chief Minister.

Additional Secretary Additional Secretary is an assistant of Secretary and is responsible for working of his wing. He is

an officer of BS-19. He receives the orders from the Secretary and sends downward. Likewise, he

receives reports from the subordinate offices and submits them to the Secretary. He supervises

the subordinate staff of his wing. He performs all those duties which are assigned by the

Secretary.

Deputy Secretary Deputy Secretary is the head of the branch. He is an officer of BS-18 of provincial or central

government. He does not participate in the decision making, but only receives orders from

above and sends them to the Section Officer for implementation.

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Provincial Legislature There are four provincial assemblies according to the Constitution of Pakistan. The membership

of the Provincial Assembly is determined according to the population. The new changes of the

total membership are shown in the table below, while women and minorities seats are allocated

according to the strength of votes secured by the political parties in the general elections.

Province Total Membership

Punjab 371 (297+66+8)

Sindh 168 (130+29+9)

KPK 124 (99+22+3)

Balochistan 65 (51+11+3)

Powers and Functions

Legislation

The Provincial Assembly legislates laws of the province. It can legislate laws about the matters

within its jurisdiction or the matters which are included in the concurrent list.

Financial Powers

The Provincial Assembly approves the budget of the province every year. The Provincial

Government cannot impose or withdraw any tax without the approval of the Provincial

Assembly.

Executive Powers

The Provincial Assembly can ask the Provincial Government about its performance. It can

question the policies of the Government. If the Provincial Assembly passes the bill of no-

confidence against the officer at fault, then he has to resign from his post.

Miscellaneous

The Provincial Assembly has the power to ratify any Ordinance issued by the Provincial Government.

Provincial Judiciary According to the Constitution of 1973, every province has the High Court, which decides the case

in accordance with justice and equity. Every High Court comprises Chief Justice and other

judges. The Chief Justice is appointed by the President with the consultation of the concerned

Governor, and other judges on the recommendation of the concerned Chief Justice. The judge of

the High Court can continue in his office up to the age of 62.

Powers i. It protects the Constitution and rights of the people.

ii. It hears appeals against the decisions of lower courts.

iii. It has the power to hear the five writs for the protection of the fundamental rights

iv. It supervises the subordinate courts.

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Local Governments with reference to Devolution Plan 2001

Historical Background Before the emergence of Pakistan, Lord Rippon, the Viceroy of India, introduced the system of

local government, through an Act in 1884 and established local boards at the level of district and

tehsil, which used to solve the problems of local people. But these institutions failed to solve the

problems of the people due to lack of powers and resources.

After the establishment of Pakistan, the system of Lord Rippon was adopted but it could not

prove useful because it was used as a political weapon. Thus, it was completely suspended in

1958; and after the imposition of Martial Law, it was abolished.

Ayub Khan issued an Ordinance of Basic Democracies on October 27, 1959, and introduced the

system of local governments in Pakistan. It was aimed to devolve the power at grass root level to

solve the problems of the people through their own representatives. This system could not bring

any viable change, and nor could solve the problems of the people because it was make an

electoral college for the election of president and the assemblies. It was abolished by the new

government.

As a result of the elections of 1970, Z. A. Bhutto and Sheikh Mujeeb-ur-Rahman emerged as

majority leaders in West and East Pakistan, respectively. East Pakistan was separated due to

non-transferring of power to the representatives of the people. Z. A. Bhutto was given the power

of the government in West Pakistan. Bhutto failed to establish the system of local governments

through political process, but he introduced a system through an ordinance, which could not

succeed.

Zia-ul-Haq, after coming into power, reviewed the system of local governments and conducted

the elections of local governments twice during his tenure and established the system on strong

footings, which progressed step by step.

General Pervaiz Musharraf, after taking over the government on 12th October, 1999, promised to

bring drastic changes in the local government system, so that the power could be transferred to

the people at lowest level. He held the elections of local governments in phases from December

2000 to August 2001 and introduced the system on 14th August, 2001. The system is of three

tiers, comprising district governments, tehsil or town governments, and union council

governments.

Devolution of Power Plan The plan was implemented on 14th August, 2001, based on the following points.

i. Devolution of political power at the lowest level.

ii. Decentralisation of administrative power.

iii. Distribution of resources at district level.

iv. De-concentration of management functions.

v. Diffusion of the political authority.

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The local governments were divided into three tiers in Local Government Ordinance of 2001.

a. District Government

b. Tehsil/Town Government

c. Union Council Government

District Government District government comprises of the Nazim, Naib Nazim, District Council and District

Administration, which is headed by the Nazim. District Coordination Officer (DCO) assists the

Nazim. The Nazim makes it sure that the district administration is working properly. Naib

Nazim is the head of the Council and DCO is the head of the District Administration.

District Nazim

All the councillors of the district elect the Nazim for four years, who is, at least, a matriculate

and a resident of the concerned district, and gets more than 50 per cent votes. The Nazim is the

head of the District Government and provides political leadership. He gets implemented the

development plans, which are approved by the District Council. He maintains law and order in

the district. He is responsible for the supervision of the Annual Development Programmes

(ADP) of the district. He presents the budget in the District Council and performs the other

activities.

Naib Nazim

The Naib Nazim is elected by the councillors of the district for the period of four years. He is, at

least, a matriculate and is the resident of the concerned district, and must get more than 50 per

cent votes in the elections. The Naib Nazim is the head of the District Council and presides over

its meetings and maintains discipline during the session.

Zila (District) Council

All Nazims of Union Councils of the district are the ex-officio members of Zila Council. 33 per

cent seats are reserved for women, 5 per cent for farmers or labourers and 5 per cent for

minorities. The Naib Nazim is ex-officio of the Council. District Council performs the following

functions.

i. To legislate laws for the district.

ii. To approve the budget for the District Government.

iii. To levy or withdraw any tax in the district.

iv. To supervise the affairs of the District Government through different kinds of

committees.

v. To elect the members of the committees.

vi. To approve the proposals/plans, as submitted by the District Government.

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District Administration

The District Administration is run through District Coordination Officer (DCO), who is the

government officer of BS-20 or 21, and is posted by the provincial government. There are

Executive District Officers of each department, who assist the DCO to run the administration.

There are 12 departments in the District Administration:

1. Human Resource Management

2. Civil Defence

3. Agriculture and Forests

4. Rural Development

5. Education

6. Revenue Affairs and Planning

7. Health

8. Information Technology

9. Law

10. Literacy

11. Law and Order

12. Revenue, Works and Services

Functions and Powers of DCO

He performs the following functions:

i. To ensure that business of the District Coordination Group of offices carried out in

accordance with laws.

ii. To make effective and efficient the District Administration through coherent planning.

iii. To prepare the plans and programmes and get them passed by District Council, and to

supervise them.

iv. To assist the Zila Nazim in carrying out the administrative and financial functions of the

district.

v. To prepare budget and to get it approved by the Zila Council.

Functions and Powers of EDO

At the top of each department, there is Executive District Officer (EDO), who performs the

following functions:

i. To enhance the efficiency of his department.

ii. To ensure the efficient service delivery by the functionaries under his administrative

control.

iii. To provide the necessary information about his department to the Monitoring

Committees of Zila Council.

iv. To enforce relevant Federal and Provincial laws and rules including tax laws.

v. To prepare developmental plans for his department.

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Tehsil/Town Government The Tehsil or Town Government comprises of the Nazim, the Naib Nazim, Tehsil Council and

Tehsil Administration.

Nazim and Naib Nazim

Nazim and Naib Nazim are, at least, matriculate and are elected in panel by the councillors of

that tehsil or town for the period of four years. Nazim is the head of Tehsil Government and

Naib Nazim is the head of Tehsil Council. The Nazim exercise all those powers in a Tehsil, which

are exercised by the Zila Nazim in the district. In other words, he exercises all executive powers

in his Tehsil.

Tehsil/Town Council

All the Naib Nazims of all Union Councils within the jurisdiction of that Tehsil are the ex-officio

members of the Tehsil Council and Naib Nazim is the head of this Council. He presides over its

meetings. Tehsil Council exercises all those powers, which are exercised by the Zila Council.

Tehsil/Town Administration

The Tehsil administration comprises Tehsil Municipal Officer (TMO) and four Tehsil Officers,

who are performing the following functions:

i. To manage the Municipal land and property and to implement the Municipal laws.

ii. To arrange water, sewerage, sanitation, roads, street lights, etc.

iii. To execute and manage the development plans in rural and urban areas and to get used

the government lands and buildings.

iv. To manage budget, finance and accounts of Tehsil Government.

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Union Government The Union Government comprises the Nazim, the Naib Nazim, Union Council and Union

Government. The distinction between the rural and urban areas has been abolished and Union

Government has been established consisting of a certain population and area.

Nazim and Naib Nazim

The Nazim and the Naib Nazim are, at least, matriculate, and are elected directly in a panel by

the voters of the area. The Nazim is the head of Union Government. He exercises all those

powers in his Union Council, which are exercised by Zila Nazim in his district. The Naib Nazim

is deputed by the Union Nazim during his temporary absence.

Union Administration

The Union Administration comprises three secretaries, i.e. Secretary Union Committee,

Secretary Municipal Services and Secretary Rural Development, who coordinate and facilitate

the community, the delivery of municipal services and rural development. They work under the

supervision of Union Nazim.

Union Council

There are 13 members in the Union Council; 1 Nazim, 1 Naib Nazim, 4 male General Councillors,

2 female General Councillors, 2 female labourers and farmers, 2 male labourers and farmers and

one for minorities.

The members of Union Council are directly election by the people in a multimembers

constituency.

Functions of Union Council

Every Union Council performs the following functions

i. Union Council performs its functions through Union Administration and Monitoring

Committees.

ii. It approves the annual development plans and sanctions budgets.

iii. It constitutes the village councils in rural areas and community boards in urban areas.

iv. It protects the roads, bridges, official buildings, canals etc. within the jurisdiction of

Union Council.

v. It assists the District and Tehsil governments in providing the economic and social

services.

vi. It imposes taxes in certain cases within the jurisdiction of the Union Council.

vii. It constitutes the various committees.

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Administrative Units Pakistan's administrative units are as follows:

The provinces are sub-divided into 105 districts called zilas. Zilas are further subdivided into

sub-districts called tehsils (roughly equivalent to counties). The term "Tehsil" is used

everywhere except in Sindh province, where the term taluka (Urdu: ہقلعت‎) predominates. Tehsils

may contain villages or municipalities. Pakistan has over five thousand local governments. Since

2001, these have been led by democratically elected local councils, each headed by

a Nazim ("supervisor" or "mayor"). Women have been allotted a minimum of 33% of the seats

on these councils. Some districts, incorporating large metropolitan areas, are called City

Districts. A City District may contain subdivisions called Towns and Union Councils.

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The diagram below outlines the six tiers of government in Pakistan, together with an example.

Federal government

Province (e.g. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa)

Division (e.g. Mardan Division)

District (e.g. Mardan)

Tehsil/Mardan/Town (e.g. Bakhshali)

Union Council (e.g. Bakhshali)