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.
