PESHAWAR, June 18: Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani on Saturday urged the federal government to hand over the local government system to provinces as it was a provincial subject under the 1973 Constitution. “I am satisfied with amendments made to the Local Government Ordinance with the approval of the president as most of the demands of the provincial government are honoured in it. I believe that as the local government is a provincial subject, therefore it should be handed over to the provinces,” Mr Durrani told journalists after administering oath to the newly-elected office-bearers of the Peshawar Bar Association.

He opposed the appointment of bureaucrats as caretakers. He said that instead of bureaucrats and government officials elected representatives and political persons should be appointed caretakers.

About the appointment of a new advocate-general in the province, the chief minister said that a summary would be sent to the governor to this effect after the budget session.

Mr Durrani dispelled the impression that the provincial government had been manipulating the by-election in PF-66 (D.I. Khan). He said they had an agreement with the centre that no federal minister would participate in the election meetings. However, he added, when a federal minister interfered in the polls the provincial government was also no longer bound by it.

Addressing members of the bar earlier, Mr Durrani said they had approved a summary for enhancing the salaries and privileges of law officers in order to bring it on a par with that of Punjab. He said the notification in this regard would be issued soon.

He directed officials to forthwith start work on the construction of a judicial complex in Peshawar and added that land had been allocated in different districts for construction of bar rooms.