Polls in K-P to be held this year: Bilour

Announcement comes on the heels of SC directives.

PESHAWAR:

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) senior minister for local government and rural development Bashir Ahmed Bilour said on Wednesday that local bodies’ elections in the province are expected during late October or the first week of November this year.

He added that an announcement to this effect will be made by the K-P Chief Minister on April 23.

This announcement comes right after the Supreme Court (SC) directed the provincial governments to immediately issue the schedule for holding local bodies’ elections last Thursday.

Bilour said that the local bodies’ elections will be held on a party basis in the province, adding that there will be 11 seats at the union council level, out of which about seven will be for males, two for females and one each for farmers and minorities.

Following the elections, district councils will be headed by mayors and union councils by chairpersons, replacing the nazim posts introduced under the 2001 local government law.

The senior minister said the K-P provincial government was unaware if the other provinces would follow suit.

Commenting on the importance of local representatives, Bilour maintained that while an assembly member could not complete development projects in his constituency due to lack of funds, locally-elected leadership could easily identify and prioritise development work in their areas.

He added that the government will launch development projects in Peshawar and Dera Ismail Khan district from July 1st.

Regarding the Bannu jailbreak, Bilour deplored the failure on the part of intelligence and law enforcement agencies. He suggested building separate high security prisons for high-profile prisoners, adding that provincial jail staff lacked the capability to resist militant attacks.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 19^th, 2012.