K-P LGs' four-year term expires today

PESHAWAR:

The four-year constitutional term of local government institutions in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa is set to conclude on March 15 (today) with no final decision yet from the provincial government on transferring or restoring powers to elected representatives.

Mayors and tehsil chairmen took oath on March 15, 2022, marking the start of their tenure. Over the past four years, multiple amendments to the local government law have shifted key powers back to the bureaucracy, leaving elected bodies with limited authority.

Local representatives formed the Local Councils Association to advocate for the restoration of devolved powers and staged protests, but the provincial government did not reverse the changes. Demands for an extension of the current term also went unheeded.

Sources indicate that once the term expires, administrative powers in districts are likely to be handed over to Deputy Commissioners, while Assistant Commissioners will assume responsibilities at the tehsil level. The provincial Local Government Minister's busy schedule has reportedly delayed attention to this critical transition issue.

The law requires fresh local government elections within three months of the current term's end, and delimitation of constituencies has already been completed.