PESHAWAR, July 12: The provincial assembly on Tuesday passed the NWFP Local Government (Amendment) Bill, 2005, and rejected amendments presented by Abdul Akbar Khan of the People’s Party Parliamentarians. Mr Khan proposed 27 amendments, including those regarding powers vested in the district coordinating officers and nazims, removal of district nazim by two-thirds instead of simple majority and additional financial grant to local governments by the governor from the provincial consolidated fund.

“The government is not aware of the negative effects of the amendments contained in the new ordinance,” he said.

He said district nazims should not be empowered to take disciplinary action against functionaries of local governments. He said it would make a mess of things when a nazim would transfer an official on political grounds.

He opposed writing of annual confidential reports of municipal employees separately by district and tehsil nazims. He said the employees came under the provincial cadre and their ACRs should be maintained by one person.

He opposed the removal of a union council chairman, who was directly elected, by councillors. He said: “If the councillors do not elect him, why they should be allowed to remove him.”

He opposed the provision under which those who propose and second a no-trust move against a district nazim would lose their seats if it was defeated.

He said the constitution of the provincial finance commission should be an elected government’s business. According to the bill, the provincial government would nominate four and the governor six members of the commission, he said.

He said the government could not make changes in the Local Government Ordinance of 2001, protected in the Schedule-VI, but it could incorporate amendments into the new ordinance. He said after the passage of the bill, the law would become a part of the Schedule-VI.

Mr Khan said he wanted to make the minister concerned powerful but the treasury benches were opposing the move without knowing what disservice they were doing to the province.

Despite a request by the local government minister, he did not withdraw his amendments.

Mr Khan presented all his amendments one by one in the house and spoke on their importance but the treasury benches defeated those.

Qazi Mohammad Asad of the Pakistan Muslim League asked the speaker to advise the MPAs on the treasury benches to participate in the debate. Even opposition MPAs did not show any interest in discussing the amendments.

The house kept the NWFP Irrigation and Drainage Authority Act, 1997, pending till the next session. Minister for Irrigation and Power Hafiz Akhtar Ali had introduced the act on July 5.

During the question hour, the house was informed that the Public Safety Commission did not have any opposition or minority members on it. Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Malik Zafar Azam assured the house that the opposition and minorities would be given representation in the future.

Speaker Bakht Jehan Khan adjourned the proceedings till Wednesday.