KHYBER: With no development funds and perks and privileges in sight, the majority of elected councillors here fear the failure of the local government system recently introduced in seven tribal districts.

Members of all three tehsil councils in Jamrud, Bara and Landi Kotal were sworn in March this year after election in Dec last year but they have yet to elect their ‘convener’. They formally met only once.

The councillors attended a training programme by a nongovernmental organisation about their powers and responsibilities a few months ago but the relevant authorities have yet to empower them despite repeated requests.

Mian Jan, an elected councillor from Jamrud, told Dawn that council members had become ‘rubberstamps’ as their current job was to sign domicile, birth or death certificates only.

“With no development funds at hand, we can’t do any development work facing criticism of our voters,” he said.

Young woman councillor, Somiya Afridi of Landi Kotal, complained she didn’t have authority and funds.

She said she contested local body election with a lot of zeal and interest and won it.

Ms Somiya said the local women shared their issues with her hoping for their early resolution.

College student Ms Afridi said she had planned to provide better educational and health facilities to the local women and even made detailed reports about the ‘pathetic’ conditions of girls schools in the area for necessary action.

“During the last 10 months, we heard about the early release of funds but that didn’t happen,” she said.

Woman councillor Zakira Bibi complained that she expected of the relevant quarters to inform her about the release of funds and her responsibilities.

“Women visit me at home almost daily to know about schemes for them but unfortunately, I am in no position to make any promise to them,” she said.

The councillor added that the only thing she had got from the authorities so far was some stationary and a stamp for issuance of birth and death certificates.

Chairman of the Landi Kotal tehsil council Shah Khalid said though he and other councillors had several meetings with the relevant local government department officials but the promises they made had yet to be fulfilled.

“Local government secretary Ziaul Islam told us that the department is in the process of formulating rules of business and by-laws for election of presiding officers but that has not been completed even after the passage of several weeks,” he said.

Mr Khalid said training programmes were organised to build the capacity of councillors but that was an exercise in futility with the empowerment of those council members.

“This is an insult to the people’s mandate as elections were held to meet a constitutional obligation but the councils are intentionally kept powerless,” he said.

Published in Dawn, October 28th, 2022