LAHORE, July 14: The Pir of Qabula Sharif, Syed Salman Mohsin Gilani, has announced fielding candidates for 200 union council nazims for assuming control of the district governments in Bahawalnagar, Sahiwal, Okara, Vehari and Pakpattan. Making the announcement at a press conference here on Thursday the youthful Pir said his candidates would not affiliate with any political party and contest the local bodies elections as the nominees of Salman Mohsin Gilani Group.

He said his group would field only sincere people and would not enter into any election alliance with any political party.

He said rampant corruption in the local governments system had compelled him to make an attempt to reform it by participating in elections.

The system given by Gen Musharraf was good but had failed to deliver in south Punjab because the nazims and secretaries had been misappropriating the entire funds, he added.

Pir Salman Gilani said the poor were suffering from a sense of insecurity in northern Punjab. They were not only subjected to excesses but were also implicated in false cases. A poor man of his village was implicated in a false theft case and had to spend over one year in jail after he raised hue and cry against the kidnap and rape of his daughter.