PESHAWAR: Members of Local Council Association Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have demanded that elected local bodies be given powers and funds without delay, otherwise elected they will be forced to stage a sit-in at Peshawar’s Jinnah Park on Dec 26.

Addressing a press conference at Peshawar Press Club on Thursday, the association president and City Mayor Mardan, Himayatullah Mayar, said it was regrettable that the government was depriving the elected people of powers and resources

Flanked by other members of the association, Mr Mayar stressed the need that the provincial government should make the rules of business of local governments under Section 112 of the Local Government Act 2019.

He also demanded that offices, funds, powers and other necessities and facilities be provided to the representatives of local elected councils under the Act.

“It is a matter of great regret that in the first phase of the local body elections held exactly three years ago on December 19, 2021, the elected local bodies were not given full three years. But these elected bodies are still protesting for funds and powers,” he said.

He said in 2022, when the elected councils assumed power after the second phase of the local government elections, the government of former chief minister Mahmood Khan had brought amendments to the Act and deprived the local government councils of funds and powers.

Mr Mayar said that during this entire period, elected representatives from across the province had knocked on every door but till date, they were not heard.

“We have held press conferences many times, demonstrated and met with former and current chief ministers, but despite all the assurances, even today the local government bodies are deprived of funds and powers. For the first time in history, local government representatives of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were forced to hold demonstrations outside Adiala Jail and Parliament House,” he added.

He said Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal had assured the elected representatives of local governments to convey their demands to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

“Hopefully, the federal minister will keep his promise. The local government representatives will hold a protest sit-in in support of their demands at Jinnah Park, Peshawar, on December 26,” he said.

Published in Dawn, December 20th, 2024