October 30, 2007	Tuesday	Shawwal 17, 1428

ISLAMABAD, Oct 29: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Monday assured nazims that district governments would neither be dissolved nor suspended before the general elections.

Speaking at a ceremony held to award flags to 99 districts which have remained polio-free for over two years, Mr Aziz said the local government system would be strengthened because it was serving the people at the grass-roots level and enjoyed support of the people.

The ceremony, attended by district nazims and chief secretaries from the four provinces, was seen by political circles here as an attempt by the government to seek support of the nazims and other tiers of the local government in the coming general elections, rather than an effort to promote the cause of polio eradication.

At least 16 cases of polio have been reported from different parts of the country this year.

Allaying concerns of the nazims about the future of the local government system, which have arisen primarily because of Pakistan People’s Party’s demands during talks with the government for their suspension and the freezing of their funds prior to polls, the prime minister said the government considered the LG system as a pillar of the current political dispensation and it would not take any step to curtail its powers or scope.

The prime minister urged the nazims to effectively play their role to deliver basic services to the people.

About the electoral plans of the ruling alliance, the prime minister said the PML and its allies would contest elections from one platform.

Commending the role of nazims in the campaign for eradication of polio, Mr Aziz said the success of their commitment was evident from the number of districts that were being recognised as polio-free.

“It is important to acknowledge the leadership and commitment of all districts towards polio eradication,” he said.

“Today’s ceremony is about recognising those efforts and to join together to ensure that we together are committed to building on our successes and to collectively ensuring that Pakistan is the next polio-free country in the world.”