MANSEHRA: Local body members on Thursday decided to begin a protest movement against the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government over the “denial” of development funds to village and neighbourhood councils across the province.

“This time around, we have decided to protest peacefully outside Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi to communicate our message to Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chairman Imran Khan regarding his party’s failure to provide rights and funds to local governments in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” Local Governments Ittehad chairman Basharat Ali Swati told reporters here.

Accompanied by office-bearers of the Ittehad, he said that around three years had passed to the local government elections in the province but local bodies were still without development funds and the rights promised in the LG Act, 2013.

Say rallies will also be staged across province

“Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur often talks about rights and good governance but is hesitant to give us our due rights and development funds,” he said.

Mr Swati said the chairmen of village and neighborhood councils would stage protests in their respective councils across the district.

“The chairmen of village and neighbourhood councils, who met earlier today, decided to hold demonstrations across the district to register their protest against the government,” he said.

Mr Swati said the LB members’ central body earlier this week decided to hold peaceful protests outside Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi on Oct 30 and outside the Chief Minister’s House on November 5.

“We will present a memorandum to the superintendent of the jail and follow legal procedures to meet Mr Imran Khan to inform him about the injustice being meted out to us by the government,” Mr Swati said.

CRACKDOWN: The traffic police on Thursday began a crackdown on underage biking, one-wheelie, and other offenses by motorcyclists here.

“We have removed hundreds of noisy silencers from motorcycles across the district and are expanding our crackdown to those manufacturing and selling such banned items,” deputy superintendent of traffic police Shahnawaz Khan told reporters here.

Accompanied by traffic inspector Anas Khan, he said a crackdown was initiated on the order of DPO Shafiullah Khan Gandapur to eliminate one-wheeling, underage biking, prohibited horns, and tinted windows.

“Because of the reckless driving and dangerous stunts performed by motorcyclists on the Karakoram Highway and Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad Road, the number of traffic accidents has surged significantly, claiming many lives,” he said.

Traffic inspector Anas Khan told reporters that the police were imposing fines over tinted glasses and pressure horns.

“We will also launch a crackdown against manufacturers of noisy silencers and pressure horns in the second phase of our ongoing campaign,” he said.

KILLED: Two minor brothers were killed and another suffered critical injuries when the boundary wall of their house collapsed in the Bala Kotkay area here on Thursday.

The incident occurred when the children were playing outside their house.

The family and neighbours shifted the injured to the King Abdullah Teaching Hospital where doctors pronounced Smiuallah, 4, and Abdullah, 2, dead.

Published in Dawn, October 25th, 2024