The system of local Govt introduced in Pakistan is nearing completion of its first term. Even critics and opponents of the system now agree that this is a workable system, much natural and practical, contrary to the fears of its detractors that it would not survive its term.

News are coming in that some changes are being made in the working of the system specially to mention that the district and tehsil nazims are to be elected directly for the coming term. Though the previous method of electing nazims through votes of the councilors proved to be fraught with corruption and horse trading ,the proposed system of direct elections would be no different in its ultimate manifestation.

Infact over the past few decades elections in Pakistan have become a game of the unscrupulous. The common man is involved in this 'democracy' only on the polling day after which he is only miming and cursing those whom he has elected . Mafias have carved out a role for themselves in each elections and the successful candidates subsequently spend their time obliging these mafias whom they call supporters, instead of serving the general public.

President Musharaff has taken many bold administrative steps and a good addition to this list would be to appoint district and tehsil nazims rather than have them elected. We have seen that nominated ministers like Dr Attaur Rehman have done better than any of their elected counterpart. Similarly if we look at our own province, the present Governor has achieved the apparently impossible task of removing encroachments and widening the roads of Peshawar. Could any one even imagine an elected Govt attending to such task? The feat of extending Govt writ to the tribal areas could also be achieved by a non elected person in authority. Let's admit it that elected people have a lot to pay back to those who have invested in them and therefore are never in a position to take bold and selfless decisions for the sake of the people in general.

An exercise in appointing carefully chosen district and tehsil nazims from the same area (on the basis of their character and capability) will bring about a revolutionary change in the condition of the general public.