March 12, 2008	Wednesday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 3, 1429

PESHAWAR, March 11: The District Council of Peshawar on Tuesday dissolved monitoring committees after the members expressed dissatisfaction over their performance.

Convener Razaullah Khan Chagharmati presided over the council meeting held at the District Council Hall, which discussed the performance of the monitoring committees and asked their heads to inform the council about their inquiry reports regarding devolved departments of the provincial government.

Most of the committee heads alleged that bureaucracy did not want the local government system to get strengthened and that was why they were not cooperating in connection with inquiries into malpractice.

The members said the committees had been formed to protect public interests but they had failed to do so. They said the committees had lost their utility and, therefore, they should be dissolved.

Some of them said officials of different departments were not paying heed to the problems of their localities and they were unable to face their constituents.

They said problems, especially pertaining to traffic, health, education, food, sewerage, works and services, environment, and other civic issues were increasing and there was no check from the authorities.

Some of the members were against dissolving the monitoring committees, but the convener called for a vote on the issue by show of hands and the majority favoured dissolution of the bodies.

The convener after consulting the council members fixed March 14 for forming new committees and appointing their heads.

A woman councillor, Begum Tehmash, walked out of the session and tore the agenda copy in protest against the dissolution of the committees.

On a point of order, she said since discussion on the monitoring committees was not on the agenda, their dissolution was illegal.She said the bureaucracy was not cooperating with the committees and that was the reason for their poor performance.

She said action should be taken against officials of the district government for not extending their cooperation and not against the committees.

The members also spoke on traffic problems in the city and suggested construction of underpasses at the Charsadda Road, Bara Road, University Road and other important routes.

The meeting through a unanimously-adopted resolution called for construction of an underpass at the Bara Road and approved shifting of the Charsadda bus stand to somewhere outside the city.

The members also condemned the publication of blasphemous cartoons in newspapers of Denmark and Norway and said the Pakistan government should sever diplomatic ties with the two countries.

They said ‘Zionists’ had been trying to create hatred between Muslims and non-Muslims and to hurt sentiments of the Ummah across the world.

The council observed a token walkout against the reprinting of the caricatures. The session will continue on Wednesday.