Peshawar [Pakistan], September 5 (ANI): In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, local police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse hundreds of elected representatives who were protesting against the provincial government for not releasing development funds since the establishment of local government in the province about three years ago, Dawn reported.
According to the Dawn report, the local governments, including tehsil, village, and neighbourhood councils, were established following the local body elections held in December 2021.
However, since their installation, no funds have been allocated to them for development projects. The demonstrators claimed that the provincial government failed to transfer administrative powers to the tehsil level following the abolition of the district tier in the local government system.
Around 500 chairmen from tehsil, village, and neighbourhood councils gathered from various parts of the province at Jinnah Park, Peshawar. Among them were the Mayor of Peshawar Zubair Ali, Pishtakera Tehsil Council’s Haroon Sifat, and Pabbi Tehsil Council’s Ghayyur Khattak. The report further stated that the protesters chanted slogans criticizing the provincial government for being opposed to local governance. They organized a procession from the park and marched along the Khyber Road to the Chief Minister House, where they planned to stage a sit-in.
As the demonstrators approached the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly building, the police closed the road with a security gate to prevent their movement towards the Chief Minister’s House.
Despite this, the protesters broke through the gate and continued their march towards the Chief Minister’s House. One of the protesters, a Member of the Tehsil Council Pabbi, Taimur Kamal, told Dawn that with the abolition of the district government, the provincial government had decided that some important departments would be devolved to the tehsil level.
Government services in KPK often face challenges related to outdated infrastructure and inadequate facilities. Many offices and service centres lack the necessary resources to effectively serve the public. (ANI)
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