RAWALPINDI, Feb 28: The tehsil council members on Saturday said they were being blackmailed through no-confidence motions, and demanded protection under the local government law.

In the monthly session of the council, they demanded of the National Reconstruction Bureau (NRB) to make amendments to the Local Government Ordinance 2001 to provide protection to the naib Nazims.

The ordinance, they added, left enough room for the administration to depose a naib Nazim through a no-confidence motion.

The naib Nazims complained that they were being looked down upon by Nazims of their respective constitutions, were not given the status they deserved and were being used only for budget passing.

In the recent past, they said, several naib Nazims were subjected to no-confidence move after they refused to toe the government line. They said they got stay from court against the conspiracy.

They also complained against lack of proper sanitary condition, shortage of water, supply of contaminated water and installation of faulty water meters in various parts of their constituencies. The members also called for removal of the managing-director Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa).

Naib Nazim Chaudhry Malik Dad objected against the formation of development committees and termed them illegal. He said these committees be reconstituted and their chairmen selected anew.

Another member Haji Sherzaman complained that they were not provided with the agenda of the session.

The house also passed a unanimous resolution, demanding separate offices for women councillors in the new TMA Complex.

Tehsil Nazim Hamid Nawaz Raja assured the councillors that they would be provided offices.

One of the naib Nazims drew the attention of the house to the construction of Malikabad Shopping Plaza and alleged that it had been built without the approval of the TMA. The speaker was unable to give a satisfactory answer to the issue.

Some members also informed the house that a public park on Khayaban-i-Sir Syed had been abolished and the area was being prepared for construction purposes. They termed it illegal and demanded restoration of the park.