October 19, 2001	Friday	Shaba'an 1, 1422

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MULTAN, Oct 18: President general Pervez Musharraf will soon start meeting district nazims to exchange views on matters of national interest, including the problems being faced by their respective district governments.

This was disclosed here by Federal Minister Umer Asghar Khan while addressing a session of Multan District Council on Thursday.

He said the Nazims would call on to the president in groups.

Police: The minister said that most of the complaints he received were against the police department.

Mr Khan, who is the minister for environment, local government and rural development, labour, manpower and overseas Pakistanis, said it seemed that performance and conduct of the police were the biggest issues of the masses.

He said in the past police officers were posted on the basis of their links with influential people. Police stations were auctioned and there was no merit in the police, he added.

Mr Khan hoped that the law and order situation and police performance would improve under the new set up.

He assured that district public safety commissions would soon be constituted while there would be proper training arrangements for the police to adjust themselves in the changed environment after the devolution of power.

The minister observed that bureaucracy was the main source of authority up till now but the government had transferred powers to the people’s representatives. “Civil servants have to serve the people,” he said and added now it was the responsibility of elected people that they should work diligently to make the new system a success.

He said the government was now focusing on distribution of resources. There were 34 federal divisions in the centre which needed to be right sized. The centre should only be responsible for policy-making, Mr Khan maintained.

Commenting to the apprehensions of union council Nazims against the procedure of no-confidence move, he said the issue demanded careful consideration. He also agreed that the demand of UC nazims to have judicial and administrative powers should be considered as concentration of powers (at district level) might undo the government efforts.

He ho