MANSEHRA: The chairmen-elect of village and neighbourhood councils here have demanded of the provincial government to ensure their early swearing in for assuming the respective offices to serve the people, who voted for them in the recent local body elections.

“A month and a half has passed since the second phase of local body elections were held, but the government has yet to notify us for oath-taking to assume responsibilities,” chairman-elect of Safada village and neighbourhood council Basharat Ali Swati told reporters here on Monday.

Led by a group of the heads of local bodies from different districts, Mr Swati said local body elections were held in seven of eight districts in Hazara division on March 31 this year, but the council chairmen had yet to assume their respective offices due to a delay in their swearing in.

“The people approach us for the execution of development schemes and verification of documents for domiciles, Form B and other purposes but return disappointed after learning about our inability to do that for being powerless,’’ he said.

Demand their early swearing in to assume office

Also, chairman-elect of the city neighbourhood council Mohammad Arif said all recently elected members of local bodies had submitted details of their assets and liabilities to the Election Commission of Pakistan but the provincial government was delaying their notification for swearing in.

KILLED: A labourer was killed after falling from the rooftop of a mosque in Nile Batla area of Oghi tehsil on Monday.

The residents said Mohammad Sadiq suffered critical injuries in the incident and lost life on the way to the civil hospital.

Also in the day, a fire gutted a house in Bawar Khan area of Oghi tehsil destroying goods and currency notes. The family was evacuated by neighbours shortly after the fire was caused by a short circuit.

BOOKED: The police booked seven men for issuing life threats to forest officials and taking away the wood of illegally felled trees in Khatai jungles here on Monday.

Head custodian of Khatai jungles Afsar Khan complained to police that he and his staff members were threatened and attacked by a group of timber smugglers after the latter were intercepted and stopped from taking away the trees chopped down illegally.

The Oghi police booked Mohammad Mukhtar, Mohammad Ghulam, Mohammad Faizan, Mohammad Ashfaq, Mohammad Anwar and Munawar Shah over the incident and began search for them. No arrest was made until night.

Meanwhile, the residents have demanded of the authorities to carry out fumigation in Pulrah area and its suburbs to prevent the outbreak of dengue.

Leading a group of locals, Mukhtar Tanoli told reporters that the area lacked cleanliness, so the mosquito breeding grounds were increasing.

Published in Dawn,May 10th, 2022