June 27, 2002	Thursday	Rabi-us-Sani 15, 1423

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SARGODHA, June 26: A rift between the district Nazim, Nazim Malik Amjad Ali Noon, and his allies in the district council, including the Naib Nazim, the Bhalwal tehsil Nazim and over four dozen members of their group has resulted in postponement of the budget session scheduled originally for Thursday.

Efforts by the district Nazim to break the impasse have failed so far. Mian Mazhar Qureshi is leading the dissenters with support from Mian Naseer Ahmad, the Bhalwal tehsil Nazim.

Mr Noon is said to have offered a portion of development funds to all members of the district council. Surprisingly a majority of the members did not turn up to receive the cheques offered as grant to the respective union councils.

Mian Qadeer Ahmad, a district council and public safety commission member, alleged that the Nazim had recruited three people as private secretaries. He said the three were extorting bribes from government workers and did not even spare teachers and doctors.

Showing a copy of a sale deed indicating that one Tasawwur Husain had purchased a one-kanal plot in Bhalwal for Rs200,000, he said Mr Husain was one of the private secretaries to district Nazim. He added that market value of the plot was Rs500,000. He said the real price had been concealed to evade stamp duty on the transaction.

He also complained that Mr Noon ignored the councillors and gave undue importance to his private secretaries. He alleged that the district Nazim had intervened to protect Mr Husain who had been accused of involvement in a sex scandal.

Mr Husain, he said, was interviewing teachers and midwives being recruited by the district government without formal authority.

Mr Qureshi, too, has remained aloof. The budget session, thus may not be held until June 30.

Mr Noon is said to have proposed to proceed on leave for four months. The proposal was accepted by his group but he is said to have changed his mind.

In a press release issued, the district Nazim claimed that three of the five tehsil Nazimeen still supported him. He said Tasneem Qureshi of Sargodha tehsil, Rana Munawwar Ghaus of Sillanwali tehsil and Ghulam Asghar Lahri of Sahiwal tehsil had condemned the people trying to damage the district government. He also claimed support of the Piracha family and former Punjab Assembly deputy speaker Manazir Ranjha.

Political analysts here believe that the district Nazim and his Naib are unlikely to reconcile their differences. Sources close to Mr Noon, however, said he hoped to reach an amicable settlement soon.