January 24, 2003	Friday	Ziqa’ad 20, 1423

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RAWALPINDI, Jan 23: The Tehsil Council members Thursday staged two walkouts from the House in protest against the insulting attitude of the tehsil municipal officer and failure of the TMA officials in removing encroachments.

The members accused the TMA officials especially the tehsil municipal officer of extorting bribes from the road-side vendors, which was encouraging encroachments.

Naib Nazim Ch Malik Dad, who is also chairman anti- encroachments committee, told the House that he had submitted an application to the Tehsil Nazim for removal of encroachments. He said the Nazim referred the application to the TMO about a month ago, but the latter was still sitting tight on it.

When the TMO was called to the House to explain his position, he used harsh language and blamed the members for levelling baseless allegations at the TMA officials. The public representatives in protest walked out of the House and refused to come back until the TMO explained why no action was taken on the application.

The TMO will have to go with us to take stock of the sprawling encroachments, they insisted. They said the TMO had not changed his attitude since the introduction of the local government system 18 months back and urged his replacement.

Earlier also, the members staged a walkout against the derogatory attitude of the TMO. All the members were, from the very beginning, displeased at the remarks of the TMO on the agenda of the session that, “It seems to be void of facts.” They argued that it was none of business of a retired military officer to interfere in the affairs of the elected representatives.

Even the speaker, Sajjad Khan, asked the TMO in writing that he had no right to give such remarks on the proceedings of the House. The TMO had no words to defend his position when asked why did he write such derogatory remarks on the agenda of the session.

The members blasted the TMO for not giving them their due rights and constantly interfering in their affairs. If the TMO has to do everything himself, then we and the other TMA officers have nothing to do here, said Naib Nazim Ch. Safdar from union council 86.