MUZAFFARGARH, Feb 7: The recent verdict of the Lahore High Court, Multan bench, regarding suspension of District Naib Nazim Syed Ali Raza Shamsi and a budget session to be summoned by the district and sessions court judge is likely to start more litigation, Dawn has learnt.

On Tuesday, the Lahore High Court, Multan bench, had ordered the suspension of the district naib nazim and told the district and sessions court judge to summon the assembly session for that passage of budget.

Shamsi will file an appeal against his suspension in the Supreme Court today (Thursday). Talking to Dawn on Wednesday, he said that a majority of the union council nazims were with the Pakistan Muslim League and a no-confidence move against District Nazim Qayyum Jatoi, who belongs to the Pakistan People’s Party, would be tabled in a week. He said the district nazim would fail to get the budget approved and would not be able to get the required number necessary for quorum.

Jatoi has not decided either to attend the budget session summoned by the district sessions court judge or again move court for the restoration of a budget passed by the assembly on July 13 last.

The recent build-up of government’s efforts to remove him from district nazim slot has left him in deep water. The Jatoi camp claims to have the support of 58 UC nazims but in a 136-member house, Jatoi needs 68 members for the approval of the budget. The Jatoi group has started contacting UC nazims to gain their favour. The district nazim announced Rs10 million and Rs2.5 million for general and special UC nazims. UC Nazim Dr Suhail Alam, who is from the Jatoi group, said that after the court’s decision, Jatoi would gain the support of over 80 UC nazims.

With the suspension of Shamsi, a change of guard was observed on the premises of the district council hall. A pro-Jatoi UC nazim was seen presiding over a function arranged by UNICEF, the Helth Department and non-government organisations on the Expanded Immunisation Programme. Earlier, Shamsi was scheduled to preside over the meeting. Shamsi’s office was locked while the district nazim’s office was full of activity as many of his supporters remained there through the day.

Separately, MPA Sardar Amjad Hameed Dasti has announced that if Sultan Hanjra, former district nazim, was nominated candidate for the top local council slot, he would not support him, according to sources. Sources said that recently MPAs and MNAs from Muzaffargarh had met Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi to finalise the candidate for district nazim wherein Dasti showed his sentiments about Hanjra.

Hanjra claimed that if he were nominated for the slot, he would has shown the majority within a day. According to Dasti, Hinjra had backed Jatoi in the last 2005 local elections in which his daughter MNA Tehmeena Dasti was candidate from the ruling party.