PESHAWAR: Elected representatives of local governments from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Monday staged a protest at the Provincial Assembly Chowk, accusing the provincial government of withholding administrative powers and development funds.
The demonstration was led by Local Council Association (LCA) President Himayatullah Mayar, Media Coordinator Taimur Kamal, Arshad Shah, and other representatives. Protesters carried placards and banners inscribed with their demands.
Police were deployed around the protest site, while Khyber Road was closed to traffic, causing severe traffic jams. A long queues of vehicles on GT Road and other nearby roads. Commuters faced difficulties as traffic flow remained disrupted for several hours.
Speaking to the media, the protesters said the KP government had “paralysed” local governments and deprived them of development funds, terming it an injustice to the province’s 45 million residents.
LCA Media Coordinator Taimur Kamal said the association had repeatedly staged peaceful protests during the tenures of former chief ministers, including Mahmood Khan and Ali Amin Gandapur.
“Instead of resolving our issues, the government ordered baton charges, tear gas shelling, and arrests. Many of our representatives were injured,” he recalled, adding that multiple rounds of negotiations were held with the provincial leadership and written assurances were given, but none of the commitments were honoured.
He said local representatives had been denied funds for the past four years, calling the situation “unfair and unlawful”.The protesters demanded implementation of the Peshawar High Court’s decision on the Local Government Act, extension of the tenure of local bodies, restoration of administrative powers, and release of pending development funds.
Following consultations, the LCA announced that the protest had been suspended until January 14. The leadership said local representatives would again gather outside the Provincial Assembly on that date and participate in the demonstration “with even greater strength” to press for acceptance of their demands.
