UC chairmen seek extension in local bodies’ term

Demands immediate release of funds to chairpersons of union councils with full powers

RAWALPINDI:

The Punjab Local Government Alliance, a new coalition of union council chairmen of local bodies from across Punjab, on Thursday demanded to extend the term of the local government till May 31, 2024, immediate release of funds to chairpersons of union councils with full powers.

The leaders of the alliance held a joint meeting in Rawalpindi. They said that the Punjab government had suspended the local bodies for 29 months and their term should be extended to compensate for the suspension period.

They said that if the constitutional period of 29 months was not extended and funds were not released, they will stage a strong protest and move to the Supreme Court to seek justice.

The meeting was attended, among others, by union council chairmen of different districts of Punjab including Taj Abbasi, Muhammad Amir Mazhar, Nawab Babar Ali, Farrukh Hussain Bukhari, Majid Sultan, Rai Farooq, Chaudhry Ghulam Nabi, Tahir Mahmood, Faqir Ahmad, Kamran Khan, Tanveer Siddique and Attaullah.

Addressing the gathering, the leaders said that local bodies were the basis of democracy and suspending them was tantamount to the carnage of democracy.

They demanded that officers who did not comply with the Supreme Court order should be punished. They said that they will fully participate in the next local body elections once the current term was over.

The leaders said that the Punjab government should refrain from making changes in the local body system. The government should refrain from providing local body funds to MNAs and MPAs.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 12^th, 2021.