ISLAMABAD, June 6: The National Reconstruction Bureau has prepared a draft of new Rules of Business (RoB) for the district governments of the NWFP, and handed it over to the provincial government for debate, NRB chairman Daniyal Aziz told reporters at a press briefing on Friday.

The briefing was also attended by local government minister of the NWFP Sardar Muhammad Idrees.

The NRB chief said teams of both the federal and provincial governments will meet again on Monday in Peshawar to discuss the newly-drafted rules.

He said both the teams met on Friday here at the Frontier House and decided in principle to settle the ongoing confrontation between the district Nazims and the provincial government in consultation with all the stake-holders.

Mr Aziz said the meeting was scheduled to be held in Peshawar but due to the presence of Chief Minister NWFP Akram Durrani in Islamabad, it was held at the Frontier House.

The meeting focused on four controversial issues: formation of the local government commission, postings/transfers in the district governments, communication channels between the provincial government and the district governments and the local governments’ finance system.

Responding to a question about the resignations of district Nazims, he said they had linked their withdrawal with the solution of problems.

He emphasized that the local governments “have to function within the provincial framework” and according to the provisions of the Local Government Ordinance-2001.

He said the federal government will make amendments to the Local Government Ordinance-2001 with the approval of President Gen Pervez Musharraf.

Speaking on this occasion, the NWFP’s local government minister Sardar Muhammad Idrees said the provincial government had also submitted its proposals regarding amendments to the Local Government Ordinance, and handed them over to the federal government representatives.

These proposals will come under discussion in a meeting on June 9, he said.

He said the federal government had assured the provincial government that all the controversial laws will be amended to restore harmony among the provincial government and district governments.

Mr Idrees said the provincial government will discharge its responsibilities as required under the Local Government Ordinance-2001.

He said the provincial government had not taken any step which was contrary to the law of the state and the Constitution.