The ruling party in Khyber Pakhtunkhawa Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) emerged triumphant in the district and Tehsil Nazims elections. It bagged nine district Nazim seats out of 22 followed by its coalition partner Jamat-e-Islami that succeeded in pocketing four seats.
While Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) bagged three seats. Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Awami National Party (ANP) and Jamiat-i-Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) remained victorious in two districts each. Credit goes to the administration for holding local body elections in KPK after they were held in largest province of the country Balochistan. This process of transferring power to the lower level would also help to strengthen democracy at the grassroots level.
It was pleasant that despite the major victory of PTI, there were no agitation or blames this time. PTI is in power in the province and people voted for the party considering they would have a better chance of the resolution of their civic problems. People have shown interest to the promises of PTI. Although PTI has not delivered the way it should have been, but still things are moving in a positive direction. PTI has introduced some basic reforms in the working of the public sector departments. With the node of people, PTI has a new test to prove its claims of public service at the grassroots level. It has to deliver otherwise the claims of the PTI to make a difference in the people’s lives will stand exposed. It is indeed a reality that LG elections carry great importance and act as a nursery to bring political maturity to the polity.
It has been witnessed that people cannot approach freely to the MNA’s and MPA’s of their area to make them aware with the problems of the area. Therefore, LG set-up gives the masses freedom to share their issues with their local representatives.
The provincial governments in Punjab and Sindh need to emulate this example and complete the process as soon as possible.
