PESHAWAR, Oct 30: Majority of the members of the city district council have expressed confidence in District Nazim Azam Afridi here at an informal session on Thursday.

Out of the total 119 councillors, 103 members hailing from Awam Dost, Watan Dost and Al Khidmat groups who have affiliation with the PPP, ANP and Jamaat-i-Islami, respectively, and Mazdoor Kisan group expressed their confidence in Mr Afridi through a show of hands at an unofficial meeting.

The councillors assured unconditional support to the Nazim as many members alleged that bureaucracy was behind the move to fail the system.

Convener Dr Iqbal Khalil presided over the meeting held on the district secretariat premises, while opposition members, led by Arbab Tariq, boycotted the session. Four town council Nazims were also present at the meeting to express support to the district Nazim.

Mr Afridi called an unofficial meeting of the district council members to secure vote of confidence after the opposition group made an attempt to requisition the council session.

The opposition members accused the Nazim of promoting nepotism and favouritism and failed to release funds to union councils for development works.

Later, speaking at the meeting Mr Afridi said that 95 per cent members of the district council had expressed confidence in him, adding that he always welcomed positive criticism.

He vowed to strengthen the local government system and resolve people’s problems on merit.

Elaborating civic problems of the provincial metropolis, he said that Lahore had received Rs1 billion, Karachi Rs2 billion and Quetta Rs700 million for development schemes, while Peshawar had been allocated only Rs70 million in the annual budget.

He said that a delegation comprising councillors would meet President Gen Pervez Musharraf in Islamabad after Ramazan to seek financial assistance for the city.

Mr Afridi said that before the presidential referendum, President Musharraf had promised to provide Sui gas connections to the entire district, besides setting up four colleges, installing 200 transformers and 200 tube wells in the district, but none of the promises materialized.

He said despite limited resources the city district government was making efforts to address basic problems of the citizens and vowed to release Rs500,000 to each union council for uplift of community infrastructure after Ramazan.

Women councillors demanded of the district government to provide funds for development schemes and provide honorarium.