SIALKOT - A large number of people, led by all the 19 opposition councillors took to streets against, what they said, ‘highhandedness’ of the Daska Municipal Committee for ignoring most of the urban areas belonging to the opposition councillors in development and cleanliness.
The rally began from Daska Kalan as all the 19 opposition councillors including Muhammad Afzal Mansha and Tauheed Iqbal Butt jointly led the anti-Daska Municipal Committee rally. A large number of the people from all walks of life participated in the rally to vent off their anger at the MC’s step-motherly treatment being meted out to areas being represented by opposition councillors. Carrying banners and placards, the protesters chanted slogans against the MC chairman and his cabinet. The rally participants marched various inter-city roads in Daska and kept the traffic block on main thoroughfares for about two hours.
They also staged a sit-in at Fawara Chowk and in front of the offices of the Daska Assistant Commissioner. They condemned Daska Municipal Committee’s officials for ‘victimising’ the opposition councillors.
Addressing the rally participants, opposition leaders - Muhammad Afzal Mansha and Touheed Iqbal Butt strongly criticized treasury bench in the Daska MC and alleged that the treasury members with the connivance of the MC officials are targeting the opposition members with stopping their development funds and not allowing sanitary to carry out cleanliness in their areas. They claimed that areas being represented by opposition councillors’ have become virtually filth depots due to the prolonged absence of insanitation. They claimed that sewage system in the areas in question is lying chocked and the streets present a look of sewage ponds, causing multiple problems for residents of these areas, besides threatening the outbreak of diseases.
It is to be noted that there are a total of 40 wards in Daska Municipal Committee, out of which 21 are being represented by the treasury while 19 wards belonging to the opposition members.
They regretted that even MC officials have sided with the ruling members in their political victimisation of opposition members. “A part from politics, everyone should think of the public welfare and must not ignore the fact that it is public power that vote politicians to power, they pointed out.
They regretted that insanitation and accumulated sewage have caused ill odour to prevail the areas.
They urged Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Commissioner Gujranwala Division Capt (r) Muhammad Asif and Sialkot Deputy Commissioner Dr Farrukh Naveed to take notice of the critical situation and direct the Daska MC officials to end victimisation of the opposition councillors’ wards. They also demanded effective cleanliness and removal of trash heaps from various areas of the Daska city.
Our Staff Reporter