PESHAWAR: Peshawar Mayor Haji Zubair Ali on Tuesday said the local government system was facing hurdles in resolving people’s basic problems as the previous PTI government had clipped its powers ‘without any justification’.

“We have also approached the court of law to restore our powers as without having powers, the local bodies won’t be able to offer facilities to people,” he said while speaking at a meeting of the council held at the City Council Hall. Convener Malik Tariq Javed chaired the meeting.

The members put across the problems being faced by their constituents at the grassroots level.

Mayor Ali said the Local Government Act, 2013 was amended, shifting powers enjoyed by local bodies to the provincial government.

He directed the authorities concerned to release the monthly honoraria for the elected representatives.

He said that it was the prime responsibility of the city government to resolve issues of the public at their doorstep.

He urged the members of the council belonging to the PTI that since their government would be installed in KP soon so they should use their good offices in restoring the local bodies’ powers in letter and spirit.

Mr Ali said since installation of the local body system in the province two years ago, the provincial government had not released a single penny to them.

He also said that high-rise buildings would be constructed in the provincial capital to save the agriculture land from being eaten up by horizontal constructions.

The councillors said mobile snatching incidents were on the rise in the provincial capital, spreading fear and unrest among the citizens. They also demanded action to curb the increasing use of ice drug and regulating traffic flow on the city roads.

Published in Dawn, February 21st, 2024