NWFP: Nazims, councillors launch movement to protect local governments system

[Naveed Yaseen]

PESHAWAR: Nazims and councillors of NWFP formed a Local Council Association and launched a protest movement — Save the Local Government System in the province — here Monday.

Israrullah Khan advocate, convener of Local Council Association for Peshawar District, announced the decision at a press conference in the presence of dozens of nazims of the union councils and councillors.

The convener said that the democratically elected federal and provincial governments were bent upon abolition of the local governments and replacing them with administrators. The decision, he said, was undemocratic and violation of the Article 140 A of the Constitution.

“We do not want extension in our period, but demand holding of Local Government elections in the country,” he said, reminding that the prevailing laws did not provide any space for the appointment of administrators.

He said according to the Local Government Ordinance if the government failed in holding Local Government elections due to any circumstances, then Section 159 of the ordinance allowed the sitting Local Governments to continue working till taking over of the charge of the new government after polls.

Israrullah Khan said: “We demand withdrawal of the unconstitutional and unlawful decision of abolition of the Local Government system with immediate effect and announcement of schedule for elections.”

Regarding “Save Local Government,” movement, he said elected nazims, naib nazims, both men and women councillors, minority members and civil society representatives would gather at Peshawar District Council on August 5, at 11:00 AM and stage a protest meeting that would be followed by a procession. The protestors would march towards the NWFP Assembly.

The convener urged all nazims, naib nazims, councillors and civil society organizations to join the protest in a large number to resist what he said was the undemocratic and unlawful decision of abolition of the Local Government system.

He said they respected the mandate of the elected government. He said if the government scrapped the present system on the pretext that it was the product of a military dictator, the system it was planning to introduce had also been given by a military ruler.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=191344