LAHORE, Oct 25: Data Ganj Bakhsh Town Nazim Khwaja Ahmed Hassaan’s opponents failed to muster the support of a majority of councillors for a walkout from the town council session here on Saturday.

Only a dozen out of 38 councillors joined the walkout that was initiated by Khwaja Hassaan’s opponents Mian Raashed and Yousaf Lodhi over distribution of scholarships among students at the first town council meeting held and attended by him after being restored to his office by the Supreme Court of Pakistan. All of them, however, returned on the request of the town Nazim and participated in the proceedings.

Town Naib Nazim Mian Muhammad Usman informed them that the students had been selected for award of scholarships by a committee headed by Town Municipal Officer Liaqat Ali Bhatti. He asked them to discuss the matter with him and the town Nazim on Monday. He said that more funds could be allocated in case some deserving students were deprived of scholarships.

Khwaja Hassaan said on the occasion that the councillors should forget bitterness of the past one month and join hands to work for welfare of the people. He said that the town could not maintain its exemplary performance without the cooperation of all councillors.

The council unanimously adopted Malik Munir’s resolution paying tribute to former ARD chief Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan. He said that the late Nawabzada did not mint money from politics but fought against dictatorship and struggled for democracy throughout his life. The country had lost a sincere veteran politician.

The council also adopted Malik Munir’s motion to spend one million rupees on repairing the roadcuts made in Union Council 82 by the Pakistan Telecommunication Company. The council did not agree with Sher Bahadar’s proposal to reward the veterinary officer for controlling mutton prices and checking the sale of substandard meat.

The council agreed with Rana Liaqat’s proposal that it should have its own hall for holding its meetings. Town Naib Nazim Mian Muhammad Usman informed the house earlier that the meeting had been convened in town Nazim’s office because the City District Government had declined the request to allow the use of Nadir Hall in district Nazim’s office for the purpose.