SARGODHA, June 28: District Nazim Malik Amjad Ali Noon has clarified a news item appeared in daily Dawn on Friday.

In a statement, he said: “the information relating to the number of members who failed to participate in the cheque distribution ceremony was quoted ambiguously.

“It is a matter of fact that only a few members could not attend the function to receive the cheques for development activities in their respective union councils. Non-attendance was due to their other occupations and the same was not based on any lack of coordination between the members and the Zila Nazim.

“The allegations levelled against Taswar Husain Sherazi have been engineered due to political jealousy. The report said that the District Nazim had intervened to protect Mr Husain who had been involved in a sex scandal and that Mr Husain was interviewing teachers and midwives being recruited by the district government without any lawful authority.

“It is clarified that there was no sex scandal and no recruitment of teachers and midwives was going on in the district.

“The Sargodha Nazim, right from holding the office, has been making efforts to eradicate corruption from the district and therefore this mafia has become active to counter such constructive activities to achieve their ill design. Even the opposition has declared that the Sargodha District Nazim is above the board.

“The news item has given an impression that the Nazim has lost the support of the members of District Council. It is not based on facts because out of the 230 members of the house, more than two thirds majority is with him and has appreciated the policies adopted by the district government to carry out the development activities.”