Non-release of funds LG reps threaten to stage sit-in outside CM’s House

MANSEHRA: The chairmen of the village and neighbourhood councils on Thursday announced to stage a sit-in outside the Chief Minister’s House in the provincial capital in the first week of next month over non-release of funds and powers.

“Half of our four-year term has already expired and we are still without development funds and powers,” Malik Mumtaz, the president of the district chapter of the Provincial Action Committee, told reporters after a meeting here.

The meeting was attended by the chairmen of village and neighbourhood councils of the district. The LG representatives set August 27 as the deadline to the government to release development funds and honour all its commitments or else they would stage a sit-in outside the Chief Minister’s House in Peshawar on September 4.

“Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, at a meeting, had promised to release development funds, honorarium, utility bills and other expenses incurred on offices. However, the funds could not be released even six months after the meeting,” Malik Mumtaz said.

Speaking on the occasion, Basharat Ali Swati, general secretary of the association, said that the local governments’ representatives from across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would attend the sit-in.

“We have also decided to stage a sit-in outside the Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi in the next phase of our agitation if the provincial government doesn’t honour its commitments with us,” he added.