SHANGLA/BAJAUR: The Alpuri tehsil council members on Wednesday demanded of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to provide them with funds without delay so they could carry out the promised uplift schemes in their respective areas.

They made the demand during a session held at the Jirga Hall with convener Mohammad Alam in the chair.

Members from various village councils, including Ali Bash Khan, Junaid Roz, Malik Shahid Ali, Noor Alam Khan, Saedullah Khan, Badar Munir and others spoke on the occasion.

“The provincial government functionaries have promised time and again to empower local bodies and provide them with funds, but to no avail,” Ali Bash said.

The provincial government, he claimed was not sincere in extending powers to the local bodies.

Councillor Junaid Roz said due to lack of development funds they were unable to face their voters. He said how long they would continue to make false promises to their voters.

Councillor Malik Shahid Ali said the government was pushing them against the wall by not releasing the much-needed funds to the local bodies.

The Alpuri tehsil council members announced they would stage a demonstration in Peshawar on February 17 against the government’s failure to release funds.

Meanwhile, local body members staged a protest rally in Bajaur the other day against the ‘lack of funds and powers’.

Chairmen of village and neighbourhood councils from across the district demonstrated outside the Bajaur Press Club.

The protesters chanted slogans against the provincial government for ‘denying’ funds and powers to them.

The councillors carried banners and placards inscribed with demands for funds, establishment of their offices and grant of powers stipulated under the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Local Government Act, 2021.

Khar tehsil council chairman Haji Said Badshah, Haji Farooq Khan, Eng Nawabzada, Haji Akbar Jan, Mian Zahoor Ahmed, Sabir Maseh and others spoke on the occasion.

They said that denial of funds and powers had damaged their image among their electorate.

The local body members said Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur had promised early release of funds, but to no avail.

They also criticised the district administration and other departments for not taking them into confidence before launching any development project. They demanded of the chief minister and provincial leadership of PTI to address their issues at the earliest.

The participants announced to participate in the three-day-long demonstration planned in Peshawar from Feb 17.

Published in Dawn, February 13th, 2025