PESHAWAR, Dec 28: Acting nazims have not been elected in three districts and several tehsil and union councils to fill vacancies created after resignation of nazims contesting the Jan 3 election.

The Local Government Ordinance, 2001, is clear about transitory arrangements but district, tehsil and union councils are operating without officiating nazims because of political wrangling at the local level, officials told Dawn on Thursday.

Section 48 of the ordinance says: “In case the office of zilla nazim falls vacant by reason of his death, resignation or removal, the zilla council shall elect one of its members to be the officiating zilla nazim till a new zilla nazim is elected.”

In accordance with the provisions of the same section, the naib nazim is bound to convene a meeting of the council for the election of officiating nazim within 10 days after the seat falls vacant.

If the naib nazim fails to convene the meeting for electing an officiating nazim from among members of the district council within 10 days, he is liable to charges of misconduct and the senior-most presiding officer can convene the meeting.

There is a similar procedure for the election of officiating nazims of tehsil and town councils under Section 68 of the ordinance.

Under Section 61, the naib nazim is authorised to act as tehsil nazim till an officiating nazim is elected.

The posts of nazims of Charsadda, Lakki Marwat and Battagram districts were vacant in addition to some of tehsil, town and union council nazims as no officiating nazims had been elected in accordance with the law, the officials said.

They explained that under the law, it was mandatory that district and tehsil councils will meet at least once in every month, however, the councils, where the nazims have resigned, haven’t held meetings despite the lapse of more than a month.

Officials said that this was mainly because political differences among members of district, tehsil, town and union councils, which hampering the election of officiating nazims against these vacant seats.

The officials said situation at Town Council-III was a classic example of internal political strife that was blocking the way of electing officiating nazim.

The office of nazim Town-III fell vacant after its incumbent Engr Shakirullah Khan resigned. He is contesting from a provincial assembly constituency.