KARAK: District nazim Dr Umer Daraz Khattak on Tuesday claimed that a provincial committee headed by local government minister Inaytullah Khan had accorded approval to the budget of Karak for 2017-18.

He informed reporters here that the committee held a meeting in Peshawar on Tuesday and approved the annual budget of the district.

He said of the total budget 80 per cent had been earmarked for treasury members and 20 per cent for opposition councillors.

After the district nazim’s failure to get the annual budget passed from the district council, it was sent to the provincial government for approval, but the chief minister had formed a three-member committee headed by the local government minister.

However, adviser to chief minister on prisons Malik Qasim Khan Khattak, district naib nazim retired Maj Sajjad, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf district councillor Azmat Khattak and other councillors termed the claim of the district nazim as a lie. They claimed no such decision had been taken at the meeting of the committee. They said another meeting of the body would be held on Oct 6.

They said they were astonished at the fact that the ADP had been utilised without the approval of the concerned body. They warned if the committee did not decide on distribution of funds on equal basis among all the union councils then they would move court.

MEETING: At its maiden meeting on Tuesday the Public Safety Commission asked the district police chief to trace the culprits involved in the attack on former district president of traders union Tahir Ayub. The meeting was chaired by commission’s newly-elected chairman Noor Daraz.

District police officer Abdur Rasheed informed the meeting about the challenges facing his force and said despite limited number of personnel and resources the police were maintaining peace in the district.

Mr Daraz said the safety commission would cooperate with the police in resolving their problems. He also asked police to trace the attackers.

Published in Dawn, October 4th, 2017