Former nazims skeptical about holding of local govt elections

PESHAWAR: The former elected representatives at the district level in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are not optimistic about holding of local bodies elections in the province, citing the statements of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) ministers as proof of their lack of seriousness.

Federal Minister for Defence Pervez Khattak recently said that district council was retained in the new local government system being introduced in KP.

Talking to The News, former district nazim Torghar, Dil Roz Khan said the government would not be able to conduct elections before 2022.

“The government has abolished the district tier from the local government system but now Pervez Khattak said that it would be restored,” he pointed out.

He said the government circles also hinted at renaming district nazim as mayor and getting the mayor elected through direct election. “The government has created more confusion than clarifying things regarding local bodies elections,” he said.

Dil Roz Khan added that if the government had actually planned what its ministers were saying then this whole process of amending the bill, presenting it before the provincial assembly for debate and approval would take a lot of time.

However, former district naizm Peshawar Muhammad Asim Khan said that holding election in 2021 was possible and the government had made preparations for it. He said that the statement of Pervez Khattak about restoring the previous system of local government had not yet been approved by the ruling PTI.

He added that even if the party considered the proposed amendment, it would not take more than 15 days to pass the bill from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly. “Currently, as far as I know, the government plans to conduct elections under the existing law,” he added.

Fasihullah, former district nazim Upper Dir, said that he was not ready to believe what this government claimed about the local government election.

“They are still experimenting as some of the government ministers talk about reviving the previous system,” he maintained. He said the ground realities portrayed a different picture than the government claims about holding the election.

“I think the government is not sincere in holding the election but all this fuss is about the case being heard at the Supreme Court,” he claimed.

Local Council Association Information Secretary Ali Haider said that although the government had notified the district returning officers (DROs), he didn’t see any preparations in place for holding the election.

“These DROs are government officers, who are already working so issuing just a notification would not make any difference,” he argued. He said that even if the government was able to hold the election, the judicial officers should supervise it as other government officials could be easily influenced.

The term of the local governments in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa expired on August 28, 2019.

Article 140-A of the Constitution and the Election Act 2017 make holding of elections within 120 days after expiry of the tenure of local bodies in the province as a constitutional obligation for the Election Commission of Pakistan.