The four provincial local government associations in Pakistan joined together to launch the national Association for Development of Local Governance (ADLG) in Lahore on 30 April.

Around 200 mayors and councillors from Pakistan attended the official launch along with CSO representatives and government officials. This is the first time Pakistan has had a national local government association. In a video message to the launch, CLGF Secretary-General Carl Wright welcomed the new organisation and congratulated those who had been instrumental in setting it up.

Provincial association Presidents Hon Mr. Syed Nasir Hussain Shah Rizvi (President LCA-Sindh), Hon Yousaf Ayub Khan (President LCA-Khyber Pakhtunkhawa), Hon Mir Maqbool Ahmad Lehri (President LCA-Balochistan) and Hon Syed Muhammad Asghar Shah Gillani (President LCA-Punjab) attended the launch and spoke at the inauguration. A Board of Directors and post-holders were elected at the meeting.

This setting up of a national local government association was supported by all the four provincial associations and international organisations such as United Cities and Local Government Asia Pacific (UCLG-ASPAC) and the Commonwealth Local Government Forum (CLGF). Anwar Hussain, CEO of the Local Councils Association of the Punjab said that the launch would not have been possible without the continuing support of CLGF and other organisations.

In a video message to the launch, CLGF Secretary-General Carl Wright welcomed the new organisation and congratulated those who had been instrumental in setting it up. He said “We look forward to working with the new national association on some of the key local government priorities in Pakistan, as well as continuing to work with the provincial associations with whom we have had a long-standing partnership”.