number of local government representatives in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are protesting in the streets “for their rights.” During its previous term, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government had made several amendments to the Local Government Act, which the protesting representatives say, have led to a paralysis of the system.

For the last three years, the local government representatives have demanded that the provincial government revoke the amendments to the rules of business and immediately release funds for local councils. They have staged several protest demonstrations and held negotiations with Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and other ministers but failed to get their way.

Last week, hundreds of local government representatives, under the banner of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Local Council Association, staged a protest sit-in against the denial of development funds and alleged disempowerment of the local government system in the province.

The elected members of tehsil, village and neighbourhood councils, mostly from opposition political parties, gathered at Jinnah Park, Peshawar. The protesters marched on the GT Road and reached the Khyber Road, where they staged a sit-in outside the Provincial Assembly building.

During the protest, the LCA demanded that the provincial government immediately release outstanding funds for the fiscal years 2021-22 to 2024-25.

Speaking to The News on Sunday, Himayat Ullah Mayar, the mayor of Mardan a vocal leader of the Local Council Association, said that the KP government had formed a committee comprising four ministers in response to the protest. “The ministers met the protesters at Jinnah Park,” he said. “On our end, we have formed a committee to negotiate with the government.”

“The ministers promised to resolve the matter in 20 days. They agreed to restore the Local Government Act. Rules of business would be framed afresh and approved by the cabinet. The LCA-designated committee will meet the CM for the release of funds, Himayat Ullah Mayar said.

“Instead of serving the people in our offices, we have spent our term on the streets.”

After receiving the assurance from the ministers, the LCA contacted the government several times but failed to achieve a breakthrough. Only the minister and secretary of Local Government Department received them.

“We were informed that some officials of the Local Government Department have made the amendments to the rules of business. The recommended draft has been sent to the Law Department for vetting. Now the Law Department has raised several observations. We are following the draft but the file is facing red-tape in the provincial bureaucracy,” Mayar said.

The LCA committee is still waiting for a meeting with the CM. They have been told that the CM is busy with other important matters. “It is very unfortunate that, in four weeks, the CM has been unable to find time to meet the local government representative. We are expecting a meeting with the CM soon to discuss the release of funds,” Mayar said.

Along with settled districts, seven tribal districts’ representatives have serious issues and need immediate attention from the provincial government.

Abdul Haleem, chairman of a village council in Tangi division, said, “Instead of serving the people in our offices, we have spent most of our term on the streets.”

Mayar said January 22 was the deadline for talks with the government. “We believe that if the KP government is serious about addressing the local government issues we will show the necessary flexibility and extend the deadline if needed,” he said.

There are 131 tehsil councils, 4,212 village councils and neighbourhood councils in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. More than a thousand chairperson are from the PTI, the ruling party in KP. The rest belong to opposition political parties. Mayar says all LG representatives have been deprived of funds. The total number of elected members in the province is 29,936.

“If the provincial government fails to resolve our grievances, we will organize an LG representatives’ convention and hold a huge protest demonstration in Peshawar,” said Himayat Ullah Mayar.

The writer is a multimedia producer. He tweets @daudpasaney