Naimat Ullah
Peshawar: Local government representatives staged a protest outside the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assembly due to the non-release of funds, leading to severe traffic congestion. The protesters have threatened to stage another protest if their demands are not met by January 1.
The protest began two days ago at Jinnah Park in Peshawar. On the previous day, local representatives from various districts arrived at the park, only to find that the administration had locked the entrance gates. In response, the representatives started chanting slogans and protesting at the gates. Eventually, the administration was forced to open the gates for the protesters. Once inside, they resumed their peaceful demonstration.
Later, due to the continued lack of funds, the local representatives moved their protest to the KP Assembly. Holding banners and chanting slogans, they demanded that the government release the funds. In light of the protest, a heavy police presence was deployed, and the Khyber Road was completely blocked to traffic.
The protesters emphasized that they were holding a peaceful protest to demand their rights. They expressed disappointment over the administration’s actions to prevent them from protesting peacefully. “It is unfortunate that a government that advocates for the right to protest is stopping us from doing so. For the past three years, local representatives have not received any funds. We are not here to incite violence or chaos; our protest is for our rights and powers,” the demonstrators stated.
