May 19, 2008	Monday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 13, 1429

DERA GHAZI KHAN, May 18: The ongoing bickering between Chief Minister Dost Muhammad Khosa and District Nazim Maqsood Leghari intensified on Sunday as both rivals traded blames against each other.

The district nazim preempted the government’s efforts to get his office vacated by obtaining a stay order from court. The district nazim has occupied the district coordination officer’s (DCO) office.

Mr Leghari told reporters Chief Minister Dost Muhammad Khosa was interfering in local government affairs.

Mr Leghari reportedly occupied the spacious office of the DCO some months back and the DCO staff was shifted to the district nazim office.

The district nazim, flanked by Senator Jamal Leghari, alleged the district administration, including the DCO and the district police officer, were playing in the hands of the chief minister. He also alleged the Khosa group was using administrative machinery on union nazims to get their support for the upcoming by-election for district naib nazim.

Mr Khosa, who was in the city on a three-day visit, dispelled the impression that his government was interfering in the district government’s affairs. He said the Khosa group would take part in by-election for the district naib nazim slot and Asim Zubair Khosa would be their candidate.

The chief minister also came hard on former president Farooq Ahmed Leghari, his sons Jamal Leghari and Awais Leghari and the district nazim, saying that people had rejected the Legharis in the general elections and Farooq Leghari was “forcibly declared successful”.

Sources told Dawn the provincial government had directed DCO Tahir Hussain to reclaim his original office was under the use of the district nazim.

When this correspondent contacted the DCO, he said that he had got verbal directions by the local government authorities to get his office vacated from the district nazim.

Both the Leghari and the Khosa groups have held meetings of union council nazims. The district nazim claimed that he had the support of 45 nazims in the house of 79. Nomination papers for district naib nazim slot will be filed on Monday (today).

Meanwhile, Mr Khosa said he would perform the ground breaking ceremonies of the DG Khan Medical College and Choti Zareen Degree College next month.