SHANGLA: The leaders of various political parties from Kohistan three districts have demanded of the election commission of Pakistan to conduct the local body elections on time and not change the schedule of march 27 as it is just an attempt of the ruling party to further delay the local body polls.
The president of Pakistan People Party Kolai Pallas Kohistan, Junaid Ur Rehman Quraishi, Mir Alam, member provincial council Qaumi Watan Party, Lower Kohistan, Talib Jan, social activist, Faqir Muhammad from Jamat-I-Islami, Rasool Khan, Muhammad Shamsuddin from PPP addressed a news conference at Bisham in Shangla on Saturday.
They said that the provincial government of the Pakistan Tehrik-I-Insaf was using delaying tactics in an effort to not hold the local government elections in Khyber Pakhtukhwa.
“Snowfall never ever received in the month of March and March go hot throughout the month, how a lower court verdict on the superior court order to further postponed the elections.” Junaidur Rehman advocate, said.
He said the elections was already delayed due to weather conditions from January to March and now some leadership of the ruling party from Kohistan Lower and other four districts of the Hazara division instituted the petition in the high court Abottabad bench to further delay the LG polls.
Mir Alam from Qaumi Watan Party, claimed snowfall received in the Kohistan Upper Parts in January till mid of february, however, the hilly areas inhabitants migrated to lower parts of their respective districts in the winter season hence the elections delayed for not the reason they told.
Talib Jan, a social activist from Kohistan Lower said the government had not conducted the local body polls in the previous elections held in 2015 nor funds had given to these backward districts of the province.
He said if elections was not held this too Kohistan people would not have funds for grassroots level uplift and these district would remain underdeveloped.
“We want timely local body elections for which they would launch a movement across the Hazara division with support of other opposition parties,” He said.
Meanwhile, the Member National assembly from Shangla, Ibadullah Khan also criticized the government for delaying the local government elections by filing cases in the courts through their local leadership.
The PML-N MNA Ibadullah was addressing a public meeting in Shangla on Saturday.
He said the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government was not bothering to conduct the LG polls in the province as it seen the expected results of lower level elections in the previous phase in which the ruling party was badly defeated.
