April 27, 2007	Friday	Rabi-us-Sani 09, 1428

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CHITRAL, April 26: District Council members staged a walk-out on Thursday to protest against the non-resolution of civic problems affecting their localities.

The council’s session started with Sultan Shah in the chair and several councillors protesting over what they termed the government’s indifference towards their problems. They particularly criticised the government’s “failure” to undertake repair of infrastructure affected by avalanches and landslides.

District Nazim Maghfirat Shah and some officials tried to explain the government’s position but failed to satisfy the members. Many members lost their temper when the EDO (Finance) said the former DCO, Abdul Ghafoor Baig, had spent about Rs1 million on the Shandur Festival in July 2006 from the district council secretariat’s budget.

The finance department official said the DCO had to get the scheme approved by the house but had not bothered to do so. Councilors Abdul Wali, Wazir Khan, Abdul Bari and Imtiaz Jan criticised the move and called for the registration of a criminal case against the former DCO.

They said the district government had been left with no funds to run its day-to-day affairs or even pay its workers, adding that the official had misused his powers in collusion with the district nazim. The nazim tried to allay the members’ concerns but they left the council hall in protest.

Women councillors followed in the footsteps of their male counterparts. The house was later adjourned.