PESHAWAR: Awami National Party provincial general secretary Sardar Hussain Babak has criticised the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government for making amendments to the local government law.

Talking to the party councillors here on Saturday, he said that the provincial government had resorted to damaging the local governments by not delegating powers and funds to the elected representatives. He said that the government was bound to release funds to the councillors for development schemes.

He said that councillors affiliated with both the ruling and opposition parties had started protests across the province and demanded delegation of powers, but the government did not pay attention.

Mr Babak alleged that the government had created more confusion after making changes in rules and regulations of the said law. He said that before the local government elections the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf had promised to transfer powers to the grassroots level, but after elections powers had been withdrawn from the elected representatives.

The ANP leader demanded of the Supreme Court of Pakistan to take suo motu notice of seizing funds of councillors to save the system.

Meanwhile, ANP deputy general secretary Aimal Wali Khan has said in a statement that the provincial government had virtually handed over health delivery system to the non-governmental organisations. He said that doctors were being harassed in the name of reforms in health sector. He said that doctors had started protests due to ill-planned policies of the government.

Published in Dawn, February 7th, 2016