HARIPUR, March 29: The convener of the district council prorogued the session amid high tension between the treasury and opposition members, who stopped short of physically assaulting each other over the question of funds allocation here on Thursday.

The ordinary session, which lasted for over five hours and a half with district Naib Nazim Riaz Khan Jadoon in the chair, witnessed rumpus beginning with a UC Nazim’s objection to the allocation of a huge sum for a road metalling project in the Ali Khan UC when a “minor scheme” worth Rs100,000 in his area (UC Bagra) had been rejected.

He also objected to the district Nazim’s “act of bypassing the elected representatives” and his policy of “appeasing his blue-eyed”. On this, UC Ali Khan’s Nazim, Khurshid Khan, tried to clear the point but it, instead, led to altercation between rivals, creating a pandemonium in the council.

At one point, some members tried to physically assault each other, which prompted the convener to suspend the proceedings for a while. However, some saner souls intervened and averted a direct clash between members who were trying to defend their respective positions untiringly.

Some members accused the chair of ineptness which, they said, led to brawls.

UC Kholian’s Nazim, Salim Khan, termed the district Nazim’s attitude towards opposition’s areas “unjustified”, “indifferent” and “repugnant to the Local Government Ordinance, 2000.”

Ms Eidun Nisa demanded separate passport office for district Haripur, and a review of TIP’s privatization decision.

UC Kundi’s Nazim, Nasir Iqbal, accused tehsil Ghazi’s Nazim, Syed Qasim Shah, of spending funds on specific areas at the behest of his uncle Pir Sabir Shah, PML-N’s provincial chief, to woo the disgruntled voters of ex-CM NWFP.

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