PESHAWAR, June 2: NWFP Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani has termed the collective resignation of district Nazimeen a show of weakness, and said they want to open a new front for the provincial government to conceal their wrongdoings.

The MMA government is not against district governments, but wants to make them workable by removing shortcomings in the system, he said.

In a press statement issued here on Monday, the chief minister said there was no need of any fear for those who were clean and not involved in any corruption. Honest people should not be afraid of any accountability, he said and added that district Nazimeen started hue and cry in view of their accountability.

The chief minister said his government believed in transparency and broad-based accountability and would spare no one in this regard. The government would not allow anyone to misuse authority and embezzle the public money.

He said the government had started the accountability process from its own people as no one was above the law. He said the JUI’s decision of boycotting the local bodies elections was taken keeping in view circumstances at that time, but now, he said, the government wanted to let the system work in more transparent way.

The MMA considered the local government system as a nursery for democracy, he said and added that the leadership of MMA went through this process and would never oppose the system.

The chief minister said the government wanted to run this system according to the Local Government Ordinance.

Mr Durrani said the government had found many discrepancies and favouritism in the distribution of developmental funds. He said, in a number of districts including Bannu, the responsible people had deviated from the set procedure of making budget and distribution of uplift plans. He said the elements violating the rules and regulations themselves wanted to sabotage the system.

The chief minister clarified that during his visit to various districts, the respective district Nazim, DCOs and other officials were informed in advance. He said the government would present concrete evidences in the provincial assembly against the district Nazimeen of Bannu and Kohistan for debate.

The Nazimeen concerned would be given sufficient time to present their point of view as, he said, the government wanted to do justice that could not only be sensed but also be seen.

The chief minister said that under the Local Government Ordinance, the provincial government was authorized to evaluate and assess the performance of the district governments because every district came under the jurisdiction of the provincial government.  

On many important occasions, he said, various district Nazimeen were found on leave and a law and order situation arose in their absence. During Muharram, Chehlum and Jashn-i- Nauroz, people from various walks of life cooperated with the provincial government and a number of meetings were held at the Frontier House in this regard, he said.  

He said it was the responsibility of the district government to timely arrange salaries for their employees as the provincial government had never delayed payments to the district in this regard.

The chief minister reminded that under Article 21 of Local Government Ordinance 2001, the district Nazimeen would submit their resignations to the chief executive of the province.