By Aftab Hussain
Peshawar/Shangla: Local government representatives from Shangla joined a province-wide protest in Peshawar, demanding the immediate release of development funds and the transfer of administrative and financial powers to local councils.
The demonstration, organised under the banner of the Local Council Association Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, brought together chairmen and councillors from multiple districts across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Participants staged a sit-in and raised slogans calling for reforms to strengthen the local government system.
Protesters said that despite four years having passed since the election of local government representatives, the provincial authorities had yet to release promised development funds. They argued that the delay has stalled grassroots development projects and limited their ability to address community-level issues.
Representatives from Shangla said elected officials were unable to serve residents effectively due to the lack of financial resources and administrative authority. They stressed that empowering local councils is essential to ensure timely resolution of public problems without bureaucratic delays.
Speakers at the gathering criticised what they described as weaknesses in the current local government framework, saying councillors have been deprived of meaningful powers. They alleged that the provincial government had failed to operationalise the system fully, resulting in halted infrastructure and service delivery projects.
The protesters demanded immediate release of funds and the transfer of powers to the grassroots level. They also urged the provincial authorities to implement decisions of the Peshawar High Court related to local government empowerment.
At the end of the protest, organisers warned that if their demands were not addressed, they would expand their movement across the province, indicating the possibility of further demonstrations in the coming weeks.
