DLP Report
PESHAWAR
The All-Nazimeen Neighbourhood and Village Council Organising Committee on Monday demanded that the provincial government restore the Local Government Act 2013 in its original form, alleging that successive changes had weakened the grassroots governance system.
Speaking at a press conference at the Peshawar Press Club (PPC), the committee’s head Amanullah Khan, along with former nazim Qaiser Khan Farooqi and other representatives, criticised the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government for what they termed as “dismantling” the local government system after the 2019 elections.
They alleged that amendments introduced through the provincial cabinet curtailed the powers of elected local representatives, suspended development funds and effectively paralysed the system, depriving citizens of services at the grassroots level.
The speakers also questioned the release of funds allocated for local governments over the past several years. They claimed that in 2021, Rs15 billion were earmarked for settled districts and Rs2.4bn for tribal districts, but only Rs2bn were released.
Similarly, they said Rs37bn and Rs4bn were allocated for settled and tribal districts, respectively, in 2022-23, but only Rs1.2bn were disbursed. For 2023-24, allocations of Rs17bn for settled districts and Rs5.2bn for tribal districts remained unreleased, they added.
They further claimed that in 2024 and 2025, Rs24bn and Rs6bn were allocated for settled and tribal districts, respectively, while in 2025-26, Rs39bn and Rs6.6bn were earmarked, but no funds were released in either period.
According to the speakers, a total of Rs156.4bn had been allocated over the past four years, but only Rs3.6bn were actually released, leaving local representatives unable to carry out even minor development schemes.
The committee demanded immediate restoration of the Local Government Act 2013 in its “full and original form”, warning that failure to do so would compel them to launch a protest movement.
