DERA GHAZI KHAN, June 11: The district council budget was ‘approved’ here on Saturday in a novel way. District Nazim Jamal Leghari held a separate session of his 44 supporters in the council in his committee room instead of attending the requisitioned session presided over by naib nazim.

As a convener of the house, Naib Nazim Javed Iqbal Khan Qaisrani was to approve the revised budget, but he was not even provided copies of the approved budget. At least 18 district council members attended the council meeting.

The convener had called the session with the consent of DCO Parwaiz Khusrao Malik and District Nazim Jamal Leghari. But neither the district administration, including the DCO, the EDO (finance and planning) nor the district nazim and members supporting him attended the session.

Heavy contingents of Baluch levy and Punjab police were deployed around the district council hall and the committee room.

In the meeting held at the nazim’s office which was presided by ‘convener’ Tariq Khetran, two members Habib Leghari and Muhammad Bakhsh floated a no-confidence motion which was approved by 44 members.

Later, the nazim claimed that the budget was approved without providing its copies to the press.

On the other hand, convener Javed Iqbal Qaisrani termed the act unconstitutional and maintained that the implementation on the budget would be illegal.

Talking to Dawn, the naib nazim said EDO (F&P) Shahid Khan had refused to provide him copies of the budget on the plea that the DCO had forbidden him to do so.

He further claimed that DCO Parwaiz Khusrao Malik had asked him to provide signatures of members for the approval of the budget without holding the district council session, but he refused.