Human and Democratic Rights (HDR) programme of Sungi arranged 4 seminar in Haripur, Abbottabad, Mansehra and Battagram on early LG election in June 2010. In these seminars different representative of civil society, ex- LG councilors, women councilors, media, advocates and other notable were invited.

The objective of the seminars was to demand from present government conduct the LG election on party basis and under the direct supervision of Election Commission of Pakistan without any delay.

Participants of the seminars said that unfortunately every coming government in  Pakistan changed the system according to their will that is the reason no system in our country is well tested and perform according to the wishes of the people. They criticized political parties who did not support the LG system because in the presence of LG system their vested interests can not be safeguarded. Our representative of National and Provincial assemblies have forgotten their prime responsibilities and have made them limited in petty issues that is not their work like pavement of streets and roads they said.

Afzal Khan Advocate described the role of civil society. He opposed strongly the family based politics which is privileged in our society. He told that we should reject the person who is doing family politics. He also described the importance of CNIC and said that NADRA should make the policy easy for the people. Process should be easy and accessible to all he said.

Akthar Naeem from media said that there should be a person amongst us who must contest election but we do not give vote, our criteria is totally different and we keep those person in our mind who have lot of wealth, land and a luxury car. As a nation this is our criteria and choice and after passing the election days we wait for 3 to 4 Years and some time this period increased to 10 years.

Gulnaz Shah said bureaucracy system is only a Kingdome of one person and in LG system power centralized in the hand of the people. She further added that we should think lot of time before to elect our representative because these are the people who come forward and also become MNA and MPA. She said that LG system created many politicians but now they are opposing this system sitting in assemblies.

Raffat Hameed Qazi ex- District Councilor from NA 20 said that we appreciated sung who is supporting the local govt system and who is conducting different types of training for local govt representatives. She said women strongly demand for LG system because the system has given the basic rights to women.

At the end concluding remarks was given by Mukhtar Javed Manager Human Rights. He told the participants that LG system is just like the nursery of democracy because it provides opportunity to local people serve as elected representatives unlike bureaucracy. It is unfortunate that our political parties who have great slogan of democracy and also have basic democracy charter in their manifesto but do not support this system from their core of heart he said. If political parties support this system it means they are strengthen the roots of democracy. He further told that according the article 140 provinces are bound to give the LG system and transfer all the political, financial and administrative powers and authorities.

The immediate output of the seminar was agreement of all the participants to revive LG system and early election on party basis. At the end facilitator presented the resolution for early LG election which was unanimously passed 100% by the participant by showing of hands and bys putting signature on the resolution sheet.

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