Denial of funds
DLP Report
PESHAWAR
The Local Councils Association Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has announced a protest in Peshawar on February 17, following the provincial government’s failure to address local government issues, provide development funds, and restore powers. Representatives from all districts will participate in the demonstration.
In a joint statement, local government members and representatives of the council Taimur Kamal, Isa Khan, and Arshad Ali Shah stated that during a meeting on February 4 and a previous protest on January 1, the provincial government had agreed to address their concerns.
A government negotiation committee, including local government minister Arshad Ayub Khan, minister for education Faisal Khan Tarakai, and other ministers and cabinet members, had assured local representatives in writing that practical measures would be taken by February 10.
With no action taken, local representatives plan to finalize an action plan during the February 17 protest, including a potential province-wide highway blockade on February 25.
Despite facing severe police crackdowns in previous demonstrations, thousands of local government representatives are expected to participate, they said.
The association claims that the local government system in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has been paralyzed for three years due to a lack of development funds, exacerbating public issues at the grassroots level.
