The residents of Lahore Cantonment Board have expressed their anguish over non-holding of local bodies' elections in the areas falling in the jurisdiction of the Board. The prospective candidates are unhappy, as they had already spent sufficient amount on their campaign, after the letter written by government to 44 Cantonment Boards about holding of LB polls on July 30.
Pursuant to government instructions, the Cantonment Boards had also adopted necessary arrangements for holding local bodies elections, sources in Walton Cantonment Board said.
Most of the prospective candidates in the board areas had started publicity campaign through cable operators as well as wall chalking. They also held corner meetings for mustering public support for the LB elections.
However, the government remained indecisive to hold LB elections in the cantonment areas. After 1992, local bodies' elections could be held in the areas falling in Cantonment Boards. Due to non-holding of LB polls, the residents of Cantonment Boards are unable to resolve their issues relating to provision of basic amenities.
'Are the residents of Cantonment Boards are not citizens of Pakistan' is the main question in every mind, told Rao Akram Khan, Senior Vice President Pakistan Muslim League (Q) and Senior Vice Chairman Qaumi Tajir Ittehad while talking to Business Recorder.
All the areas, particularly, the private housing schemes are facing problems of sewerage, water supply, education, health and road infrastructure, he added. Most of the housing schemes in the cantonment board including Rizwan Town, Shaukat Town, Abid Colony, Nadirabad, Alfalah Town, Gulshan Ali are deprived of basic amenities.
The residents are of the view that their problems could not be redressed owing to absence of their representation in the development planning of the cantonment board areas.
Rao Akram further said that there is no government hospital or government degree college in the Walton Cantonment Board area and people are facing hardship due to lacking educational and healthcare facilities. He demanded of the government to take explicit decision regarding holding of local bodies elections in the board areas.
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