PESHAWAR, June 5: The Nazims of all the 24 districts in the NWFP have refused to withdraw their resignations till their meeting with President General Pervez Musharraf, who is scheduled to visit Peshawar on June 10, sources said.

They were said to have conveyed their decision to Governor Syed Iftikhar Hussain Shah and NRB chairman Daniyal Aziz at a meeting at the Governor’s House on Thursday.

Local Government Minister Sardar Mohammed Idrees also attended the meeting and presented the provincial government’s point of view and reservations about some sections of the Local Government Ordinance.

Kohat District Nazim Malik Asad told Dawn that the governor and the NRB chairman requested the Nazims to withdraw their resignations, which they refused.

He said: “All Nazims were unanimous in not withdrawing their resignations till President Musharraf personally hears their grievances”.

The governor said the district governments had been facing tremendous pressure for the last five months which eventually forced them to contact at  the highest level to express their grievances.

The Nazims asked the NRB chairman to ensure implementation of LGO-2001 in letter and in spirit on the part of the provincial government. The disgruntled Nazims also demanded withdrawal of removal motions against the Nazims of Bannu and Kohistan tabled in the provincial assembly.

They were reported to have stressed the NRB chairman that he should stop interference by the provincial government in district government affairs.

Mr Aziz, who left for Islamabad later, will again visit the provincial capital on Friday to hold a meeting with provincial government representatives. Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani and the provincial minister concerned are also scheduled to meet Mr Aziz.

Minister Idrees said he had informed the NRB chairman that local government was a provincial subject and all district Nazims would have to work within this framework.

He reiterated that the MMA government would not undermine the local government system. The minister said: “There are certain irritants in the LGO-2001, but the provincial government nevertheless had not taken any extra-constitutional action which affected the sanctity of the law.” He said the governor and NRB chairman agreed to continue the process of audit at the district level to ensure transparency and check proper utilization of funds. He said the previous government had started audit against the Nazims of Bannu and Kohistan districts.