LAHORE: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) has demanded devolution of powers and resources to the local governments in Punjab while regretting that the provincial government is violating the spirit of democracy and laws.

In a statement, PTI leader and former Punjab governor Chaudhry Sarwar said the Punjab government was denying the elected representatives of third tier their legal rights to govern at the grassroots level. He said the provincial government had become a one-man show.

Instead of accumulating powers under a family, he said the government should give it where it belonged legally, that is, to the local government representatives.

He demanded that the government should immediately hold elections for chairpersons at district, tehsils and towns level. He also said the next general elections, without holding census, would be a failed exercise. He said delaying census would be tantamount to disadvantaging the citizens and violating the Constitution.

Published in Dawn, July 23rd, 2016