DERA GHAZI KHAN, Nov 11: Scores of people here on Monday staged a demonstration in front of Election Commission’s local office demanding restoration of tehsil municipal administration status of DG Khan tribal area, threatening local polls boycott if the demand was not met.

The protesters led by two-time tehsil nazim of tribal area, Usman Khan Buzdar, chanted slogans in favour of their demand.

DG Khan tribal area used to comprise four union councils with scattered population of about 0.2 million.

Mr Buzdar told Dawn the tribal area enjoyed TMA status under Local Government Ordinance 2001. He aid the area still had complete TMA infrastructure for its residents.

He said since cancellation of the TMA status in 2013, the tribal area residents had been facing various problems and the decision was against the public interest.

Buzdar claimed that all elders of Leghari, Khosa, Buzdar and Qaisrani tribes were in favour of restoration of the TMA status for the area.

The district coordination officer told Dawn the decision to withdraw TMA status had been taken at higher level and nothing could be done in this regard immediately as local polls were round the corner.