PESHAWAR: On the completion of first year of formation local governments on Monday, the elected representatives staged protest demonstrations in different parts of the province against the provincial government for not devolving powers to them and decreasing their development funds.
In Peshawar, the protest was staged outside the press club under the aegis of the provincial chapter of Pakistan Local Council. The protesters were led by a representative of local government Mohammad Tariq Bacha Kakakhel.
They chanted slogans against the provincial government for framing rules under which maximum powers were awarded to the deputy commissioners instead of district nazims.
The protesters demanded of the provincial government to immediately devolve maximum powers to the local government representatives.
Protesters accuse provincial govt of not fulfilling promises
In Mansehra, the representatives of local government took out a rally against what they called frequent amendments in Local Government Act, 2013 that deprived them of their powers and rights.
The rally, taken out from the press club, culminated at district council hall after marching through various roads. The participants of the rally were chanting slogans against provincial government.
Earlier in the day, representatives of local governments gathered at the press club and voiced concerns over policies of provincial government. District nazim Sardar Said Ghulam, tehsil nazim Khuram Khan Swati and others spoke on the occasion.
In Charsadda, the village nazims set up a protest camp at Farooq Azam Chowk to press the government for acceptance of their demands. Opposition leader in district council Qasim Ali Khan Muhammadzai and members of civil society also participated in the protest camp.
The gathering was addressed by president of village nazims Humayun Shakoor, general secretary Alamgir Shah and others.
In Mardan, members of district and tehsil councils accused the provincial government of using delay tactics in transferring powers to local governments.
In this regarding, a convention was held at the press club that was attended district nazim Himayatullah Mayar, district naib nazim Asad Ali, Takhtbai tehsil nazim Mumtaz Mohmand, district councillor Maulana Amanat Shah besides a large number of members of district and tehsil councils.
Mr Mayar said on the occasion that provincial government had promised to transfer powers to local governments soon after holding of polls but it failed to fulfil its promise.
“‘People of the province will take revenge from PTI leadership through ballot box in the upcoming general elections as they are accountable to masses regarding their tall claims of ‘change’ and ‘merit’ as well as making Khyber Pakhtunkhwa a model province,” he added.
In Swabi, leaders of Swabi Democratic Alliance (SDA), a seven-party ruling coalition in the local government here, on Monday accused Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf of weakening the local bodies by not delegating powers and adequate financial resources to the grassroots.
The alliance leaders, including members of ANP, QWP, PPP, JUI-F, PML-N, JI and Swabi Qaumi Mahaz, were speaking at a convention held in the district to highlight the problems of local government representatives.
Through a unanimously passed resolution, they opposed reduction in local government funds.
Addressing the convention, district nazim Ameer Rehman said that number of members had increased in the current local government system as compared to the previous one, but they were without powers and funds.
PPP district president Javed Inqilabi said that those, who claimed to strengthen the local government system, were actually working to ‘weaken’ it.
PML-N district president Iftikhar Ahmad Khan said that PTI’s failure to empower the local governments meant that the party had failed on other fronts, too.
In Shangla, the nazims and councillors threatened to stage a sit-in outside the residence of PTI chief Imran Khan in Bani Gala on June 2 to force the provincial government to withdraw amendments made to the Local Government Act, 2013.
Speaking at a convention of councillors and village nazims on Monday, district nazim Niaz Ahmad Khan said that besides seeking withdrawal of the amendments, they would demand abolishment of the rules of business introduced by the provincial government in 2015.
“We, the nazims and councillors of the district have decided to stage a sit-in outside the house of PTI chief Imran Khan in Bani Gala to seek annulment of amendments to LG Act, 2013 and business rules introduced by the provincial government in 2015,” said Mr Khan, who is also general secretary of the local government provincial union.
Criticising the provincial government, he said that it had promised to introduce an exemplary local government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa but unfortunately the system failed. “The provincial government is not sincere with the local government system,” he added.
Published in Dawn, May 31st, 2016
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