HYDERABAD, Dec 29: District Nazim Dr Makhdoom Rafiquzzaman has resigned from the steering and working committees constituted by the Sindh government to oversee the Rs10.5 billion Hyderabad development plan.

He announced this during his speech at the district council’s special session held here on Monday.

He lodged protest over the transfer of health EDO Dr Ashraf Bhurgari and revenue EDO Shakeel Hyder Naqvi at the behest of Sindh minister for Auqaf, Zakat, Ushr, religious and minority affairs Dr Irfan Gul Magsi.

The main reason cited by him for his resignations was that the taluka Nazims had not been taken in the committees which were jointly headed by Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad and Chief Minister Ali Mohammad Mahar.

He said that when the committees could afford a number of MNAs/MPAs, the taluka Nazims of the district should also be made their members because the package was Hyderabad district-specific therefore the presence of the taluka Nazims in the committees was important.

He, however, said that District Naib Nazim Nawab Rashid Ali Khan was still in the committees.

The Makhdoom, who is going on leave to perform Hajj and was quite emotional at the session, strongly reacted to transfer of Dr Bhurgari at the instance of the provincial minister and subsequent appointment of Dr Agha Tariq against whom he had conducted an investigation in Tando Mohammad Khan taluka.

Criticising the minister, he disclosed that Mr Magsi had also got Mr Naqvi transferred as he had refused to do a work on his recommendation, adding that the education EDO might also be transferred because of the minister.

Mr Rafiquzzaman said that he disliked the way in which the EDOs were being transferred, adding that he had got earlier transfer order of the health EDO reversed by talking to the chief minister house but now he had again been transferred.

He said that he could not work with Dr Tariq and President Gen Pervez Musharraf should either wind up the district government system or ensure due respect to district Nazims.

“What sort of district government is this where no body is hearing me and where has the Sindh Local Government Ordinance gone?” he asked and added that he would not allow the interference of the minister in the district government affairs.

He complained that the control of the Hyderabad Development Authority was not being handed over to the district government though the SLGO and the Sindh law department had allowed it.

He proposed the formation of a committee comprising the council members which should talk to the HDA director-general for the devolution of the authority.

The session witnessed a pandemonium when the district Nazim announced that he had resigned from the committees.

The members unanimously declared that if he had decided to quit they would also resign, and asked the district Nazim to take them into confidence.

The Nazim replied that he would not seek help of the district council members in this regard as he could tackle such matters on his own.

The Sindh government has decided to hire consultants and appoint a project director on contract basis for four years for the execution of the Hyderabad development plan, announced by Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali during his visit to the city in September. The district Nazim has serious reservations over it.