NAWABSHAH, May 2: The members of PPP-backed Awam Dost Panel (ADP) boycotted the district council session on Wednesday in protest against the DCO and demanding his immediate transfer.

Convener Abdul Haq Jamali adjourned the session for Thursday after the protesting members warned they would not attend the session until the DCO’s transfer.

The EDO of education was scheduled to brief the council about closed schools but neither he nor any of his representatives turned up to attend the session.

A member Chandumal criticised the government officials’ hubris and said that no official bothered to brief the session about their progress. As for the DCO, he neither took the trouble of attending the session nor took any measures to release funds for development schemes, he said.

He said that the members were answerable to their electorate who were asking them about the reasons behind stoppage of development funds.

Mohammad Hussain Bughio, nazim of union council-2, briefed the council about the incident which took place at the pre-budget seminar at Darbar Hall and said that the DCO Ahmed Bux Khokhar misbehaved with District Nazim Faryal Talpur despite the fact that he was legally bound to abide by her orders.

He slammed the DCO’s attitude and said that the council had already passed a resolution demanding his immediate transfer.

The ADP members who had boycotted the session were later persuaded by other members to join the session.Dr Naeemul Arfeen, Haq Parast Group nazim of UC-5, complained that the minutes of session were not being written properly and the speeches of opposition members were being deleted. He urged the convener to direct the council officer to perform his job properly.

Mr Arfeen said that the ADP members’ participation in political activities was against the law and the local bodies commission could take legal action or suspend the district government or the members. He also termed the ADP members’ setting up a camp outside the press club and raising slogans against the DCO as unethical.

ADP members Mohammad Hussain Bughio, Nadir Jamali, Chandumal and Anwar Begum responded to Mr Arfeen’s objections saying he himself was delivering a political speech which was condemnable.

Meanwhile, a PPP activist Moula Bux Bhatti fell unconscious at the hunger strikers’ camp and was rushed to the NMC Hospital. He was reportedly on hunger strike unto death since Tuesday.

Later, District Nazim Faryal Talpur reached the hospital and persuaded Mr Moula Bux to call off his hunger strike by having him take some juice.

PPP leaders Ghulam Qadir Chandio, Ziaul Hassan Lanjar, Mohammad Hussain Bughio, Anwar Begum, Qamarun Nisa Dhamrah and Moula Bux Bhatti led the protest.