SWABI, June 6: District Naib Nazim Mohammad Jamil said on Friday that the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal government was taking steps to curtail the powers of the Nazims and destroy the local government system.

Speaking at the Rabita programme of the Abaseen Union of Journalists on “future of district governments,” he said the World Bank and other donors had provided Rs33 billion for the local government system under  an international commitment and the government’s steps would have negative effects.

He said the district governments and the legislators had vowed to work for the welfare of the people. “If we indulge in anti-people or anti-religious activities, the MMA government should target us. However, if we work for the welfare of the people, the government should support the local government system,” he added.

Swabi Tehsil Nazim Masood Jabar said the MMA government wanted to damage the credibility of the district governments.

The president of the Independent Group of Nazims, Muqarrab Khan, expressed the hope that the local government system would flourish despite the actions of the MMA.

He said the MMA government should work with the district governments for the welfare of the people and those involved in corruption should be axed.

People’s Lawyers Forum President Javad Inqilabi said the intelligence agencies had played a dominant role in the making and breaking of governments and the same sleuths were in action to accomplish their designs.

The union council Nazims of the district said all of them would resign if the row between the provincial and the district governments was not resolved soon.

They said nothing was wrong with the system, except that the Nazims posed a threat to the national and provincial assembly members’ domination.