June 3, 2003	Tuesday	Rabi-us-Sani 2, 1424

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PESHAWAR,  June 2: NWFP’s minister for local government, Sardar Muhammad  Idrees has defended the steps taken by the provincial government against district Nazims in the province, accusing them of protecting the corrupt lot existing in their ranks.

Speaking at a press conference here on Monday he said that the provincial government would not dislodge the district government in  the  province  and  was ready to  end  the  deadlock  through negotiations. “The government would take extreme steps,” he said.

He stated that the government would not bow before the corrupt elements to compromise on illegal issues. He informed that an inquiry into the issue had begun to  ensure good governance and financial discipline in the province.

Sardar Muhammad Idrees alleged district Nazims of using pressure tactics to stop the inquiry against two of them.” Legally and morally they (Nazims) could not justify their move,” he added.

The provincial minister said that the previous governments had started inquiry against  Kohistan  and  Bannu  district  Nazims for committing irregularities in their respective governments. He apprised that  the district  Nazims had agreed to start monitoring of the district governments to ensure transparency in the utilisation of funds.

Sardar Muhammad Idrees said that district Nazims violated section 21 of the Local  Government Ordinance-2001 and sent their  resignations  to the President instead of the Chief Minister. “Under section 21, a district Nazim should present his resignation  to the Chief Minister who is the chief executive of the province,” he said.

Sardar Muhammad Idrees denied allegations that the MMA government was  intervening in the affairs of the district governments, curtailing their financial and administrative powers.

He added that the provincial government had no bad intentions to dislodge the local government system.

He informed that the  NRB chairman would likely to visit  Peshawar  soon  to discuss matters pertaining to the current crisis. Meanwhile Chairman National Reconstruction Bureau has invited  members of  district  Nazims’joint  action committee  -  representing  24 district Nazims of NWFP - to Islamabad on Tuesday.

The joint action committee chairman and Nazim Nowshera, Pervez Khattak confirmed that chairman NRB, Danyal  Aziz had invited  them to discuss the situation arising out of  the  en bloc resignations of the 24 district Nazims sent to the President.