LAHORE, Oct 22: Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi says the local bodies will continue to function and rumours about their dissolution are baseless. Addressing district nazims from all over the province at his secretariat here on Monday, he said Pakistan People’s Party wanted dissolution of these institutions before election, but all conspiracies to the effect would be foiled.

“The forthcoming general elections are very important with regard to continuity of reforms agenda of President Gen Pervez Musharraf and PML will not allow any person or party to sabotage the development process,” he said.

He stressed upon district nazims to sink their mutual differences and work together for the continuation of uplift process.

He said the PPP was worried as it did not have candidates for all constituencies and, therefore, trying to vitiate political atmosphere through gimmickry.

He said the local bodies were playing a positive role for the uplift and betterment of the people and their stability was necessary for the continuity of development agenda of the government.

The PML government was striving for the survival and success of local government system and provided sufficient funds for the provision of basic amenities to the masses. All district nazims should maintain a close contact with the media so as to check spread of wrong and misleading information. Development activities must continue in a transparent manner and people should be apprised of public welfare and uplift projects through media, he said.

The CM stressed upon district nazims to ensure early completion of ongoing uplift schemes with the cooperation of parliamentarians, tehsil nazims and councillors.

Punjab Law Minister Basharat Raja, chief secretary Salman Siddique, principal secretary to chief minister G.M. Sikandar, local government secretary Akhlaq Ahmed Tarar and information secretary Ashfaq Gondal also attended the meeting. —Staff Reporter