KOHAT: Executive director Rashida Dohad and office-bearers of Omar Asghar Khan Foundation from southern districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have demanded holding of local government elections without further delay so that people at the grassroots level could themselves take decisions about development projects in their respective areas.

They were speaking at peoples’ assembly held here on Thursday at Bacha Khan Library, which was attended by over 350 representatives of civil society organisations (CSOs) from Kohat, Karak and Dera Ismail Khan.

They adopted a 10-point citizen charter of demands (CoD), calling for immediate establishment of local governments in the province through fair elections.

Provincial coordinator of the foundation Ejaz Shah said that local governments were essential for improving conditions of local schools, BHUs, roads, etc.

Speakers say people be empowered to take decisions at local level

“The 120-day period within which elections were due after the previous local governments completed their four-year term expires in December 2019, and yet there is no sign of the electoral process,” said Ms Najma Shabbir of Kohat.

The CoD include the demand to reserve at least 33 per cent seats for women at all levels. Dilshad Begum of Dera Ismail Khan stressed the need to facilitate political participation of women. More reserved seats were also demanded for other vulnerable groups, including youth, peasants, labourers and non-Muslims at every tier of the local government.

Participants from CSOs stressed that local governments were essential to improve public access to services.

“Local governments provide important opportunities for citizens’ engagement in governance and holding governments to account for the delivery of quality services,” said Rashida Dohad in her presentation on the course of local governments in Pakistan.

She said that empowered local governments needed effective fiscal decentralisation. “Not less than 30 per cent of development funds must be disbursed to local governments as stipulated in the KP’s LG law,” she said. Urgent action to devise a fair Provincial Finance Commission Award was also urged.

Published in Dawn, December 27th, 2019