MANSEHRA: The female tehsil councillors have demanded the chairmen of tehsil, village and neighbourhood councils to also earmark funds for the welfare of the women and launch such schemes which could enable them to be independent financially.
“We have hardly a 33 per cent representation in the tehsil, village and neighbourhood councils so maximum funds must be allocated for the uplift of women,” Nasira Tanoli, the member tehsil council Mansehra, told a meeting here on Tuesday.
The village and neighbourhood councils’ chairmen, councillors elected on seats reserved for women, minorities, peasant and youth showed up at the meeting held on the invitation of Malik Mumtaz, an aspirant for the office of presiding officer (PO) of Mansehra tehsil.
Nasira Tanoli said that elections for the presiding officers (deputy chairmen) could shortly be held as the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has directed the Election Commission of Pakistan to appoint the returning officers to hold those elections across the province.
“We are going to elect the presiding officer who would be the custodian of the council so that all chairmen should ensure that funds are also earmarked for the schemes which could directly benefit the women,” she said.
Speaking on the occasion, Malik Mumtaz said that it was a good sign the presiding officer's elections were being held as local governments were still without funds and other benefits guaranteed under the LG Act 2019.