MANSEHRA, Aug 6: A tug of war has begun among the district government, the Tehsil municipal administration (TMA) and the district coordination officer (DCO) on the issue of granting permission for holding the National Industrial Exhibition at the Mansehra Sports Stadium.  

The elected representatives have started levelling allegations and counter-allegations of receiving from the organizers of the industrial show a share in the “booty”.

District Nazim Mohammad Azam Khan Swati, through a letter, has directed Tehsil Nazim Nawabzada Mohammad Farooq Khan to withdraw the permission the TMA has granted for the exhibition, warning him of action under the Local Government Ordinance (LGO).

The Tehsil Nazim had earlier demanded of the district Nazim to take a legal action against Khalid Javid Khan, Nazim of Mansehra City No. 3 Union Council and convener of the legal sub-committee of the district council, for issuing what called negative statements in the press and passing derogatory remarks against the him.

Whereas Khalid Javid Khan claims that the TMA is not authorized to grant permission for holding an industrial exhibition under the LGO and if the TMA does not withdraw the permission, he would move the Peshawar High Court by filing a writ petition.

The DCO also objected to the grant of permission for the exhibition at the sports stadium on the grounds that as per the directives of the NWFP governor, playgrounds and stadiums could not be used for any purpose other than sports.  

The Mansehra SSP, through a letter (No.10612/GB) of June 8, addressed to the district Nazim, also expressed his reservations about the grant of permission for the show without his consultation.

Meanwhile, the district Nazim, through a letter (No.T-1/07) of Aug 5, addressed to the Tehsil Nazim, clarified that the permission granted by the TMA for holding the exhibition did not fall within its (TMA’s) purview and that the relevant sections of the LGO had been misinterpreted by the Tehsil administration.

The letter says that section 54 (N) of the LGO empowers the TMA to organize only sports, cultural/ recreational events, fairs and shows and not any industrial exhibitions.  

It further says that an industrial exhibition is not a sport, cultural/recreational event, fair or show, but an enterprise and investment-promoting activity, which falls under the functions of the district government through its devolved department under item (V) of Part-C of First Schedule of the Local Government Ordinance 2001 and it is purely the function of EDO (Finance and Planning).