Devolution of power: ‘Hold local govt elections now’

LAHORE: The provincial government should immediately hold local government elections, Leader of the Opposition in Punjab Assembly Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed said on Saturday. Talking to various delegations, Rasheed said that local government representatives would help deal with the problems faced by the people. “The government has failed to address the energy crisis or bring prices down. It seems only interested in wasting public money on projects meant for the media,” he said. Condemning the Rawalpindi imambargah attack, he said that the government must take concrete steps to increase security in the province. “The law and order situation is deplorable in the province. The people are fed up with the government. That is why the government is reluctant to hold local elections. They believe that the people will reject their candidates,” he said. “The government has wasted a huge amount of funds on several failed schemes, such as sasti roti. Such schemes are only for the benefit of the rulers and not the people as the government claims,” he said. He said that the government had claimed to rid the country of loadshedding on assuming power. Rasheed said the government should focus on eliminating terrorism from the country. “The government has the support of all political forces on the issue,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 11^th, 2015.