FAISALABAD, Oct 5: Local government polls are the solution to problems being faced by the country, including terrorism, street crime, water, robberies, missing facilities and diseases.

This was a consensus among the politicians of Faisalabad belonging to the Pakistan People’s Party, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf while talking to the participants of a workshop on local bodies’ election that concluded here on Saturday. The United Press International Next organised the two-day workshop in which Mubasher Bukhari and Wajahat Masood were the trainers.

Talking about the issues of Faisalabad, Ex-City Nazim Mumtaz Ali Cheema of the PPP said that connection with the people at the grassroots level could help the state institutions to solve problems. He said elected representatives at the union council level could support the law enforcement agencies to find hideouts of terrorists and other criminals. He said Faisalabad was witnessing deteriorating law and order situation currently, however, the condition was different a decade back due to check at the union council level.

The PTI’s Faizullah Kamoka said police were being used for political gains and the department had no capacity to control terrorism. He said the department required an overhaul and de-politicisation as Punjab was being called a police state.

He said crime in Faisalabad had almost doubled as compared to the last year and judicial system was also fragile and suitable for criminals. He stressed the community policing, creating a sense of responsibility among the masses.

Irfan Manan of the PML-N said data was being compiled to wipe out the black sheep from police and policemen were being divided into A and B categories. Similarly, he said, data was also being compiled on criminals involved in cattle theft.

He stressed de-weaponisation, saying that display of arms had become a fashion in the district particularly among the industrialists.

Qasim Farooq of the PML-N said the Punjab government had taken strict measures against street crime and even the parliamentarians would not be spared if found involved in any illegal activity. He said unemployment and energy crisis had worsened the issues of Faisalabad.

Talking about sanitation and sewerage system, all the participants agreed that sewerage system of the district had become outdated and it did not cater to the needs of the people. Regarding the encroachments in Faisalabad, they agreed that the traders must be taken on board in this regard.