HRD organizes consultative session with citizens' Forum on Empowered LG in country

Health and Rural Development (HRD), with the support of Awaz Centre for Development Services, organized a consultative session with the Citizens’ Forum on Empowered Local Government (LG) in the country including Balochistan

QUETTA, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 14th Jul, 2026) Health and Rural Development (HRD), with the support of Awaz Centre for Development Services, organized a consultative session with the Citizens’ Forum on Empowered Local Government (LG) in the country including Balochistan.

The event brought together community leaders, civil society organizations (CSOs), women, youth representatives, social activists, and media professionals to discuss the importance of democratic local governance, citizens’ participation, and accountability.

The session began with a welcome address by Zia from Health and Rural Development, followed by participants’ introductions.

In his presentation, Zia highlighted the significance of empowered local governments in strengthening democracy, improving public service delivery, and ensuring citizens’ rights and accountability.

He emphasized that effective local governments are better positioned to address community needs through transparency, participation, and responsive governance.

During the discussion, Nisar Ahmed, Senior Generalist, stated that local governments are the foundation of democracy because they bring governance closer to the people.

He explained that empowered local institutions enable citizens to elect their representatives, participate in decision-making, and hold public officials accountable.

He further noted that local governments are responsible for delivering essential services such as clean water, sanitation, roads, public health, education, and community development more efficiently.

Social activist Muhammad Kamran stressed that citizen participation and accountability are key pillars of good governance.

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He said that active civic engagement through voting, public consultations, and community meetings helps ensure that government policies reflect public needs, while transparency and accountability reduce corruption and strengthen public trust.

Community leader Mehwish emphasized the need to raise public awareness about the role of local governments so that citizens could actively participate in development initiatives and monitor the performance of elected representatives.

Samra, representing CSOs, highlighted the importance of creating public demand for strong and functional local governments through awareness campaigns and advocacy for regular local elections and adequate administrative and financial powers.

Youth representative Karin underlined the role of community dialogues, media sensitization, and social media campaigns in encouraging public engagement and promoting transparent and accountable local governance.

Women activist Zakira Aziz stated that the initiative generated broader public discussion on citizens’ rights and accountability, while Nasreen from CSOs noted that the consultations strengthened public demand for inclusive, effective, and responsive local government systems.

The session concluded with participants reaffirming their commitment to promoting democratic values, strengthening citizen engagement, and advocating for empowered local governments capable of delivering quality public services and sustainable development across Balochistan.