ISLAMABAD, Nov 20: President Gen Pervez Musharraf on Tuesday said that the government would ensure stability and continuity of the local government system.

Talking to district Nazims from the NWFP, he said the government had decided to amend the local government law to ensure that a vote of confidence is not moved against Nazims till December 2002.

The district Nazims of Punjab and Sindh, who had earlier met the president, and Nazims from the NWFP had requested the president to amend the law relating to no-confidence vote.

Gen Musharraf directed the provinces to replace provincial cadres of health and education sectors with district cadres to facilitate better administration through the new local government system. The president agreed, in principle, to the proposal that Nazims should be made part of the selection process for people deserving Zakat to bring about transparency in the distribution of Zakat.

The president said he expected the Nazims to focus on three areas; law and order, elimination of corruption, and development.

“The system we now have introduced ensures the democratization of the governance. The people of Pakistan expect from you to deliver. “Now you have the responsibility as old colonial system has been abolished and you are laying the foundation of the new system.

“You have to fill the gap effectively, and the success of new system depends largely on your efforts and sincerity with which you serve the people.”—APP