PESHAWAR, June 3: The ongoing tug of war between the NWFP government and the district governments aggravated further on Tuesday when town and tehsil Nazims from across the province announced their support to the district Nazims.

Speaking at a news conference at the Peshawar Press Club convener Town and Tehsil Nazims Association, NWFP, Haroon Bilour vowed that they would stand behind the district governments, if the federal government failed to break the deadlock between the provincial government and the district Nazims till June 10. The centre should play its role to avert a crisis in the province, he said.

When asked whether they would tender resignations in protest against the alleged intervention of the provincial government in the affairs of the district governments, he replied, “yes, we will take every step in support of the district Nazims.”

He added that the town and tehsil Nazims were waiting for the scheduled meeting between President Gen Pervez Musharraf and district Nazims to be held in Peshawar on June 10.

“We are waiting for the dust to settle”, Mr Bilour said and added that town and tehsil Nazims from entire province would hold meeting in Peshawar on June 16 to take final decision.

He demanded the appointment of a high court judge as chairman of the Local Government Commission. At present provincial minister for local government heads the commission.

Earlier, a meeting of the Town and Tehsil Nazims Association was held here to chalk out a joint strategy. The association convener claimed that the Nazims from Abbotabad, Kohat, Nowshewra, Charsadda, Karak, Batagram, Mansehra, Hangu, Dir and other districts attended the meeting.

KOHISTAN:im Kohistan district Maulana Ubaidullah denied the charges of misappropriation of funds in developmental schemes in the district and alleged that the local government minister had levelled baseless allegations against him.