18 February 2005	Friday	08 Muharram 1426

ISLAMABAD, Feb 17: The Pakistan People's Party (PPP) will publish a report on the 'corruption' of district Nazims, district police officers (DPOs) and district coordination officers (DCOs).

This was stated by deputy information secretary of the PPP, Punjab, Syed Abrar Rizvi, in a statement after attending a meeting of the party's district information officers on Thursday.

The PPP leader said a large number of Nazims and local government officials caused huge loss to the national exchequer in the past two years through corruption, favouritism and violation of laws.

Mr Rizvi said the PPP would give a tough time to the ruling coalition in the forthcoming local government elections and would not allow them to openly flout the rules. He denied the reports that the PPP was about to strike a deal with the government. He said the party believed that there should be a direct contact with the people, who had the real power.

In the meeting, he said, it had been demanded that fresh polls should be held in the country under an independent election commission as early as possible so that power could be handed over to real representatives of the people. He said the elections should be held under the supervision of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.

The meeting also expressed concern over the recent increase in the prices of oil and gas resulting hike in the prices of other items of daily use. The meeting also expressed concern over the poor law and order situation in the country and condemned the murder of two journalists in Wana in a terrorist attack.