October 3, 2003	Friday	Sha’aban 6, 1424

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HARIPUR, Oct 2: Tehsil Nazim Iftikhar Ahmad Khan survived a no-trust motion amid allegation of forcibly keeping away the majority of the opposition members from the session.

The session was also boycotted by some members of the treasury benches and the opposition members who managed to reach the house.

The opposition members boycotted the session for what they called coercive tactics to deter the genuine no-confidence move by the Nazim. They alleged that majority of their members were forcibly kept away from voting.

The members of the treasury benches staged walkout on the mode of secret balloting on the motion. However, only nine members — seven from the Nazim’s group and two movers — turned up and participated in the process, while other 25 out of the total 34 who marked their attendance, did not cast votes either in favour or against the move.

The no-confidence motion was formally tabled against the Nazim by Syed Ehsan Shah, on Wednesday who accused him of bypassing the house in making decisions.

The motion was accepted by Convener Amin Khan Badhora and Thursday was fixed for voting at 11 am. But the crucial session was started at around 12.45 pm and the convener after reading out the contents of no-confidence motion sought the explanation from the Nazim.

The Nazim in his brief speech to the house apologized from the members and assured them of not repeating the mistakes.

The convener told the house that voting on no-trust move would be held between 1.30 pm to 2.30 pm through secret balloting. But Hakim Ibrar a member from the Nazim’s group objected and said that as majority of the members had full confidence in the Nazim the mode of secret balloting on the move was irrelevant and uncalled for.

All the members belonging to the Nazim group staged walkout. However, after some time only nine members entered the house and participated in the process.

According to results announced by the convener, who later prorogued the house, two votes were polled in favour of the motion and seven against it.

Later, speaking to reporters the opposition leaders, Abdul Saboor Qureshi and Sheikh Abid Ali advocate, termed the entire process “undemocratic and against the rules”, adding that the Tehsil Nazim had abducted their members from the TMA and kept them hostage.

Accusing the convener of being partisan, the opposition leaders said that when the members of the treasury benches sensed their defeat they utilized coercive tactics and presented a mock no-trust move against the Nazim.

On this occasion Tofkian UC Naib Nazim Abdul Rauf, who claimed to have fled from the Tehsil Nazim’s men, told the reporters that on Wednesday when he made it to the house he was asked by one of the movers of the no-trust move, Dildar Khan, that a meeting was going on at the office of the Nazim and when he reached there he and other 18 members, including three lady councillors, were forcibly taken to village Rehana and then to Islamabad.