PESHAWAR, June 22: Refuting the allegation of misappropriating development funds, the Nazim of Peshtakhara Union Council, Fayaz Khan Khalil, has claimed that he had launched several development schemes in the area.

Speaking at a press conference at the Peshawar Press Club here on Saturday, Mr Khalil alleged the Naib Nazim, Malik Wasil Khan, had initiated a defamation campaign against him and other councillors, because he wanted benefits for himself and his relatives.

The Nazim also claimed that he had spent over one million rupees in different wards and the voters were satisfied with the performance of his team.

According to him, many schemes for water supply, road construction and provision of electricity had been initiated to redress the basic grievances of the people.

Mr Khalil said that it was not possible to misappropriate development funds in the local government system because cheques to the contractors were released by different departments of the district government.

Giving details of development work, he said the council had started work on a tubewell for which the district government had provided Rs2 million, while Rs2.2 million was being spent on the construction and repair of roads in different localities.

About other schemes, he said Rs140,000 had been spent in Garhi Sikandar Khan; Rs10,000 in Pishtakhara Payan; Rs200,000 in Hazratabad; Rs100,000 in Nodeh Payan; Rs160,000 in Landi Akhun Ahmad and Rs200,000 had been spent on development work in Mohalla Abu Bakar, Shaheedabad No 1 & 2 and Garhi Sikandar Khan.

The Nazim said that the Naib Nazim was pursuing a nefarious agenda to make the local government system a failure. About the Naib Nazim’s claim of having support of majority of the councillors, Mr Khalil said that he could table a no-confidence motion against him.

Flanked by UC councillors, he asked the Naib Nazim to give up the confrontational approach and cooperate with his colleagues to create a friendly and democratic atmosphere so that the area could be put on the path of development.