KARACHI, June 29: City Nazim Niamatullah Khan said on Wednesday that he has not yet received any notification whereby the local government institutions have been restrained from preparing their budgets for the fiscal 2005-05. “As far as the CDGK’s budget for the next financial year is concerned, it was presented before the City Council on April 30 and was approved by the Council on June 28 as no such notification was either received by me till June 30 afternoon, nor I have received it till today,” he told a post-budget news conference at the Civic Centre’s conference room.

Terming the notification “unconstitutional”, “illegal”, “unjust” and “undemocratic”, the Nazim said that Section 128 of Sindh Local Government Ordinance-2001 that had been applied for restraining the local government institutions from presenting or approving their next financial year’s budgets is not at all relevant as it pertains to grave law and order situation.

In support of his contention that the Section 128 did not apply to budgets, he provided the extracts of the SLGO whose Section 128 inter alia says:” The chief executive of the province may, by himself or through any officer specifically authorized by him, issue directions to the district government through the concerned Zila Nazim for the purpose of a) preventing any grave threat to public peace and order; b) handling emergencies and providing relief thereof; and protection and security of the people and the security and integrity of the State or any part thereof.”

Elaborating, he said that even after the recent amendments to the SLGO, its Section 128 clearly says: ”Provided that where a grave threat to law and order exists and requires immediate action and the Zila Nazim wilfully abstains from the district, the government may authorise, in writing, the Naib Zila Nazim or, where the Naib Nazim is also not available, the senior presiding officer of the Zila Council, to act as officiating Zila Nazim”.

The Nazim said in case the CDGK’s budget which had already been approved was made inoperative, it would be considered an “undemocratic”, “unjust” and “illegal” act on the part of the Sindh government.

Asked if he would lodge any protest against it with the National Reconstruction Bureau, he said he would take up the matter at all forums as such this amounts to a conspiracy against the CDGK.

To another query if there would be any impact on any the city’s development projects in the wake of the notification, the Nazim said though no ban had been imposed on the expenditure of on-going schemes, no new new schemes could be initiated.

Replying to yet another question, he said at present there were around 35 ongoing schemes which were being executed at an estimated cost of Rs 5.5 billion.

Senior presiding officer of the City Council, Muslim Pervez and the Nazim’s coordinators Ansar Razi and Abid Ilyas were also present.