A new Media Channel on YouTube for local governments in Pakistan has been created as part of a CLGF EU funded project. LCA TV aims to expedite the exchange of information on key issues for local governments and the experience of past councillors throughout Pakistan.

LCA TV is the united voice of all the Local Councils Associations spread across Pakistan. The primary and sole focus is to generate content to strengthen Local Governments and their members, as demonstrated in the title video of LCA TV. 

The new Local Councils Association channel (LCA TV) provides a new outlet for all four provincial associations, and contains videos explaining new legislation to support councillors; sharing the experience of councillors; providing analysis of local government experts on exigent matters; addressing the experience of women politicians; and raising issues of importance at the council level.

TV delivering training and raising awareness

As a next step, there are plans to further expand LCA TV over the course of 2021 to make much more use of the channel in the delivery of training and awareness raising in the lead up to local government elections.

The CLGF-LCAP project Strengthening the Associations of Local Government and their members for enhanced governance and effective development outcomes in Pakistan is funded by the European Union and will run until October 2021. It aims to give a stronger voice to local government and the local councils association in Pakistan and strengthen local democracy and the understanding of the roles and responsibilities of elected councillors.

Over the course of 2020, the project was able to continue its work by moving a number of activities and meetings online; and increasing flows for the various project communication channels. This allowed the LCAs to continue working and sharing in spite of the challenges of the global pandemic and lockdown.

Digital newsletter

An important new channel, which has recently been launched, is the Digital Newsletter of Local Councils Associations from Pakistan. 

Over the course of 2021, the project will work to increase its digital outreach to maximise its impact both towards its partners in provincial and national governments as well as to civil society and citizen to increase awareness of the roll of local government as a key democracy and delivery agent. 

Communications lead for the Pakistan project, Mr Umar Rana said: "The new TV channel is a great step forward and compliments the aims of the project perfectly, disseminating important information to the local government community."