MUZAFFARGARH, Aug 28: The local-body politics has entered a new round of legal battle as the district nazim group has moved the Lahore High Court, Multan bench against the setting up of a local government commission to look into the district budget for 2007-08.

Earlier the matter of budget 2006-07 is in the court.

Talking to this correspondent, district nazim’s group convener Jamshaid Dasti said neither the DCO was authorised to seek formation of a LG commission nor the Punjab government empowered to constitute it under Section 28 of the Local Government Ordinance to look into the budget session.

He said if the DCO had any doubts about the number of union council nazims present in the session, he should have sent the budget documents back to the district nazim.

The local government commission had spent two days in Muzaffargarh on Aug 15-16 to investigate the number of nazims present in the session.

The budget session of the district council was held on July 18. District Nazim Qayyum Jatoi claimed that 70 nazims were present in the session while opposition (the ruling PML) said only 28 nazims attended the budget meeting. Later on, the commission called both the district nazim and the opposition groups in Lahore on Aug 25.

The district nazim did not attend the Aug 25 meeting but sent Mr Dasti to the meeting.

Dasti said he told the commission that DCO Dr Akhtar Nazir Warraich had no authority to bypass the district nazim on any matter. If the DCO had any reservation about the session or quorum, he could have discussed the matter with the nazim.

On the other hand, the DCO said he had informed the district nazim about the formation of the commission.

Allah Dad Khar, the oppostion’s convener, said now the commission would decide the fate of the budget.

Of late the opposition is eying the upcoming general elections because Mr Jatoi is planning to contest for a National Assembly seat. If he does so, he will have to quit the district nazim slot.