PESHAWAR: Tensions escalated in Peshawar on Wednesday as police used baton charges, tear gas, and water cannons to disperse hundreds of local government representatives protesting the provincial government’s failure to release development funds and devolve administrative powers.
The local government officials, who gathered at Jinnah Park, have not received any funds for development projects since the establishment of the new two-tier local government system in December 2021. This system includes tehsil and village/neighborhood councils. The protestors, numbering around 500 and including prominent figures like Peshawar Mayor Zubair Ali, marched from the park to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, intending to stage a sit-in at the Chief Minister’s House.
As the protesters approached the assembly, police blocked their path with security gates. Despite breaking through, the demonstrators faced a strong police response involving tear gas and water cannons, leading them to retreat and block Khyber Road, causing significant traffic disruptions.
Awami National Party President Mian Iftikhar Hussain condemned the police’s actions, asserting that peaceful protest is a constitutional right. He criticized the provincial government’s handling of the situation, noting the irony of the PTI’s own protests against federal restrictions while suppressing local dissent.
By evening, the protest was called off after a delegation met with Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, who assured them of a resolution to their grievances. The chief minister promised a meeting post-PTI’s Islamabad rally on September 8, where issues related to fund distribution and administrative powers would be addressed.
Member of Tehsil Council Pabbi Taimur Kamal highlighted that essential departments like education, health, and agriculture were supposed to be devolved to the tehsil level, but the provincial government has failed to establish these offices or transfer powers effectively, leaving deputy commissioners and assistant commissioners in control during what is described as a transitional period.
