QUETTA: Mayor, chairmen of district councils and councillors of local bodies of Balochistan have announced that they will stage demonstrations and sits-in outside the provincial assembly in protest against the government’s reluctance to give transfer and posting powers to public representatives and failure to release development funds.

Addressing a press conference here on Monday, Mayor of the Pishin Municipal Corporation Syed Ashraf Agha, Pishin District Council Chairman Mohammad Essa Roshan, Kharan Municipal Committee Chairman Noruddin Nousherwani, Muslim Bagh Municipal Committee Chairman Sardar Asif Sargarh, Kalat Municipal Committee Chairman Mohammad Nawaz Shahwani and Mastung Municipal Committee Chairman Agha Tariq Shah said the government was not ready to empower representatives of the local bodies despite repeated demands.

Essa Roshan said the government had not taken any step despite discussing issues relating to the local bodies in several meetings.

“We have decided to stage sit-in and demonstration in front of the Balochistan Assembly if powers of transfer and posting are not extended to us,” he said.

The local bodies’ representatives said all heads of local bodies should be given powers, perks, protocol and security on a par with other federating units. They said that the minister for local bodies should be appointed chairman of the Local Government Grants Commission and local bodies’ representatives be given official cars and stipends.

Published in Dawn, August 2nd, 2016