LAHORE, Dec 29: The Punjab Local Government Commission on Friday decided to withdraw notifications of appointing coordinators in local councils, and to call all district nazims in the city on Jan 13 to brief them on their responsibilities and functions.

The commission met under the chair of Local Government Minister Basharat Raja.

Sources said the decision to withdraw notifications was taken upon a complaint by commission member Naveed Chaudhry, who belongs to the opposition.

Mr Chaudhry pleaded that coordinators had been appointed only in the councils headed by members of the opposition parties. This was illegal as there was no room for their appointments through notifications in the Local Government Law, he said.

Sources said the meeting decided to call all district nazims in Lahore on Jan 13 to explain to them the role of the commission and how the commission could facilitate their working.

After Jan 13, the commission will visit Multan to check its local government’s affairs.

Sources said the commission asked the former Rahim Yar Khan district nazim to reply regarding alleged financial irregularities committed during his tenure. He was directed to submit comments in a month.

The meeting also directed the director general (Inspection) to follow the case and inform the commission of any action taken against the former nazim.

He was also directed to monitor audit reports of all councils so as to regularise their expenditures and detect irregularities.