PESHAWAR: A major ruckus marred the convention of local body members here on Monday in the presence of PTI and Jamaat-i-Islami central leadership as participants constantly demanded honoraria and empowerment.

Hundreds of the district, tehsil/town and village and neighbourhood council members, including nazims and naib nazims, gathered at the Qayyum Stadium Peshawar for the event, where PTI chief Imran Khan, JI chief Sirajul Haq, Chief Minister Pervez Khattak and local government minister Inayatullah Khan were the key speakers.

The participants had come from across the province hoping they’ll hear good news from the chief minister about honoraria and more powers.

Disappointed, they began shouting against the CM when he announced Rs40,000 monthly salary for district nazim and Rs30,000 for naib nazim, Rs30,000 for town/tehsil nazim and Rs20,000 for naib nazim, and Rs10,000 for village and neighbourhood council nazim and Rs7000 for naib nazim along with perks and privileges.

Protesting nazims, councillors demand honoraria, empowerment

The nazims rejected the salary package as peanuts, whereas the councillors protested non-provision of honorarium.

Women councillors made loud shouts while standing by the podium, while their male colleagues demonstrated all over the ground. Youth councillors protested outside the stadium.

Imran Khan and Pervez Khattak tried to calm protesters, but to no avail as the disturbance continued until the event ended.

The CM told the protesting nazims that they were ridiculing the people’s mandate by demanding perks and privileges equal to those of BPS-16 government officials.

Imran Khan said, “Don’t prefer your own interest to that of the people! Are you elected to serve yourselves or the people? Did you contest elections for salaries?”

The protesters responded loudly asking if the CM was not taking salary and perks and privileges.

In his speech, Imran Khan said billions of funds had been allocated for local bodies without discrimination.

He said for the first time in the country’s history, 30 percent development funds would be utilised by a government through local bodies.

The PTI chief told nazims and councillors to be thankful to the CM for introducing a very effective local government system instead of criticising him.

He urged the local body representatives to implement the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Local Government Act, 2013, in letter and spirit to set an example for others provinces to follow.

Imran Khan said several developed countries had appreciated the local body system introduced by the PTI in the province.

Visibly enraged Pervez Khattak asked the protesters to read and understand the law, which he said had given them lots of power.

Regarding the nazims’ call for powers to transfer officials of the devolved departments particularly health and education, the chief minister said he himself had no such powers and instead, postings and transfers were done by the relevant officials under a mechanism.

“The existing local body system is not for thieves as it used to be in the past,” he said.

The CM said the devolution didn’t mean to loot the people’s money and go scot-free.

Earlier, Shangla district nazim Niaz Ahmad said the rules of business for local bodies were framed by bureaucrats in violation of the relevant law.

He said under the previous local government system, deputy commissioners, district police officers and heads of the other devolved departments were answerable to district nazims but the current provincial government had clipped the nazims’ powers through rules of business.

“If we have no power, how we will ensure good governance in educational institutions and hospitals,” he said.

Published in Dawn, March 8th, 2016