PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Wednesday passed a unanimous resolution demanding amendments to the Constitution to provide constitutional protection and framework to Local Government (LG) system in the country.
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) parliamentary party leader in the provincial assembly Ahmad Karim Kundi moved the resolution that was unanimously approved by the House. It stated that a new chapter in the Constitution shall be added with the name of ‘Local Government’ while amendments should be made to Article 140-A in the Constitution to ensure political, administrative and financial power to LG system and holding of LG elections and its continuation in all federating units.
The resolution read that the Constitution has bound the provincial governments to establish LG and transfer power to elected representatives but unfortunately the LG polls were not held on time and the provincial governments had not transferred power to these governments.
Similarly, the Supreme Court of Pakistan had also time and again declared LG as the basic institution of the state while the Election Commission of Pakistan directed that LG elections should be held on time.
In his resolution, the PPP MPA proposed certain points to be included in the proposed amendments to Article 140-A of the Constitution, including framework and period for LGs must be identified while elections shall be held within 90 days when the LG completes its tenure or its dissolution.
The resolution suggested political, administrative and financial power to the LG while two-thirds majority in the provincial assembly shall make amendments in the law related to LG system in respective provinces. The elected LGs must hold meetings and work after 21 days of LG polls and the LG system should be declared as the basic unit or institution of the state.
Chaired by Speaker Babar Saleem Swati, the KP Assembly also discussed issues related to district administration, development projects, scarcity of food, quota system, recruitment of government employees and lack of administrative and basic infrastructure in the newly announced districts of the province. Members continued debate on the law and order situation of the province as part of the agenda item in the current assembly session.
In her call attention notice, the Pakistan Muslim League-N woman MPA Faiza Malik said that the social welfare and social security units meant for the welfare of workers had been dysfunctional for the last two years in the province where the thousands of workers and their families were deprived of relief and basic facilities.
She said that about 460 social welfare units were either dysfunctional or facing lack of funds meant for the welfare of the worker community in the province.
The MPA said that marriage grants, death grants, dowry fund or scholarship for the children of workers were provided from these units but for the last two years no such grants or financial assistance were given to the working community.
In response to her call attention notice, Provincial Minister for Social Welfare Faisal Khan Tarakai said the department would issue social security cards to registered workers while work on digitalization of assistance and services systems would be completed soon.
He said the provincial government had received a meager amount of about Rs 1.5 billion from the federal government out of Rs14 billion fund under Worker Welfare Fund for the current year.
The minister said that the provincial government would also hand over houses built for workers in Peshawar and Swabi. Sajjadullah, MPA from Lower Kohistan district, said that Kohistan had been divided into three districts in 2014 but there were no proper buildings, offices or human resources for certain departments in these three districts.
He said that the district agriculture was being administered by a director and few staff while other departments including deputy commissioner and district police offices were short of staff.
The speaker said that the provincial government should review and re-asses its decision on division of districts if it could not provide required funds, staff and infrastructure to the newly established districts in the province.
He told the House he had written a letter to Corps Commander Peshawar about the security situation in the province.
The speaker said that law and order was the main agenda of the current assembly session and the elected representatives should be briefed on the prevailing law and order security in the province.
Awami National Party MPA Nisar Baz said that Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi should not lead the protest movement of his party as he was representing the people as chief executive of the province.
“The chief minister should raise and focus on the prevailing deteriorating law and order situation with the federal government and we all the political parties will support him for the sake of our people and province,” the MPA added.
PPP MPA Makhdoom Aftab Haider and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Malik Adeel also participated in general debate on law and order in the province. The session was adjourned till January 19.
