February 02, 2007	Friday	Muharram 13, 1428

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MUZAFFARABAD, Feb 1: As the opposition parties were flexing their muscles to launch a “strong resistance movement” against the possible relocation of the civil secretariat, a government official said on Thursday that there was no such plan under consideration at any level.

He urged the people not to believe in hearsay.

“In the proposed land use plan for Muzaffarabad, worked out by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica), the civil secretariat has been shown at its existing site and there is no mention of its relocation,” said Arshad Mahmood Abbasi, administrator of the Municipal Corporation Muzaffarabad.

“The only issue yet to be decided is selection of suitable site(s) for the construction of official residences of president and prime minister,” he told Dawn.

The existing premises of the presidency and the prime minister’s house in

Jalalabad neighbourhood are to be vacated to clear space for the construction of district headquarters of Muzaffarabad by a Turkish company through funding from the Turkish government.

The MCM administrator, who is a confidant of Prime Minister Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan, said the Turkish people were feeling uncomfortable over delay in evacuation of offices and official residences in Jalalabad area and had given indications to leave the area.

“The prime minister was concerned about it and said he would vacate the official residence before all others to facilitate the early commencement of the mega project,” he said.

According to him, the prime minister had directed the relevant authorities to find a suitable location for construction of his official residence as well as of the president, but had not specifically pointed out any particular site.

“I don’t understand why some elements want the public to be driven by the unfounded information,” said the administrator.

Mr Abbasi said that all officials had been served notices to vacate the premises of their flattened official residences so that the Turkish company could carry forward its work without any hindrance.

He said that the Turkish company would also construct more than 120 prefabricated houses for displaced government officials.

Another company is constructing 50 such houses, he said.

The civic body chief admitted that lack of a clear policy statement on the part of the government had created confusion and provided an opportunity to some people to make it an issue.

On Thursday, People’s Party AJK lawmaker from Muzaffarabad, Hanif Awan, convened a meeting of representatives of different political parties, traders, lawyers and students at a hotel on the issue.

A 12-member action committee was also formed at the meeting to ascertain official position from Prime Minister Sardar Attique on relocation of secretariat.