MANSEHRA, March 25: Women councillors should study and understand the local government system so that they can safeguard their rights and privileges under the new setup.

This was suggested by speakers at a meeting organized by the Aurat Foundation here on Tuesday. A large number of union Nazims and councillors, including women, attended the meeting.

Shabeena Ayaz, Asim Malik, Aftab Ahmad and Naveed Khan highlighted the importance of women’s role in the local government system. The councillors raised many issues and put forward suggestions for redressal of their grievances.

Ms Mubarka, Rifat Hamid Qazi and others in their speeches demanded payment of honorarium and provision of offices to women councillors. They complained that they were being ignored.

They said neither were they being involved in decision making, nor being taken into confidence in preparation of annual development programme.

They criticized the government for allocation of development funds through the members of parliament. They maintained that the job of parliamentarians was only to legislate.