LANDIKOTAL: Local government representatives of Landikotal tehsil on Friday marked black day and staged a strong protest against the provincial government over alleged deprivation of their rights and powers. The protest demonstration was held outside the TMA office in Landikotal under the leadership of Tehsil Chairman Shah Khalid Shinwari. All tehsil council members attended the protest and chanted slogans against the provincialgovernment. Speakers accused the provincial government of failing to activate the local government system in the merged tribal districts since their merger. They said that despite the first local government elections being held four years ago, neither development funds have been provided to local bodies nor has any functional system been established. The speakers expressed serious concern that the provincial government has ignored local representatives and transferred development funds to MPAs and MNAs, terming the move against the local government system, democracy and the public mandate. Addressing the protesters, tehsil chairman Shah Khalid Shinwari said that local government representatives were directly elected by the people, but without powers and resources they have been reduced to merely ceremonial roles. He warned the provincial government that if constitutional and legal rights, powers and funds were not immediately issued to local bodies, the protest movement would be intensified and expanded to other merged districts. Ashrafuddin Pirzada
The protesters demanded that the local government system be strengthened, empowered and made fully functional to ensure real relief for the public at the grassroots level. They vowed to continue their struggle for the protection of public rights.
During the protest, the demonstrators’ demands were forwarded to the provincial government through the assistant commissioner of Landikotal.
