PESHAWAR
The president of the Local Council Association in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and City Mayor of Mardan Himayatullah Mayar has called for urgent action from the provincial government to empower elected local bodies by providing them with necessary resources and power.
Mayar and the representatives of the council expressed their frustration at the government’s failure to grant the elected local bodies their rightful powers and funds, despite the Local Government Act of 2019.
Addressing a press conference at Peshawar Press Club (PPC) the Local Council Association emphasized that local representatives across the province would hold a sit-in protest at Jinnah Park, Peshawar, on December 26 if their demands were not addressed.
Himayatullah Mayar pointed out that it has been three years since the local body elections, but elected bodies still lack the full authority and resources needed to function effectively.
The demand for the government to make rules of business under Section 112 of the Local Government Act 2019 was a key part of Mayar’s message.
He also criticized the amendments made by the previous Chief Minister KP Mahmood Khan in 2022, which deprived local councils of their funds and powers, concentrating authority in the hands of the bureaucracy.
Despite numerous attempts, including press conferences, demonstrations, and meetings with both former and current Chief Ministers, Mayar stated that the local government bodies had not yet received any meaningful response. He mentioned that local government representatives even had to protest outside Adiala Jail and Parliament House to highlight their grievances.
Mayar also referred to a promise made by Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal to convey the local representatives’ demands to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, hoping that the promise would be fulfilled.
However, in the face of continued frustration, Mayar announced the December 26 protest, which will serve as a final attempt to gain the attention of the KP government.
