PESHAWAR, March 11: The NWFP Local Government Commission will investigate financial irregularities and misuse of powers by Nazims and officials in 24 districts of the province.

Referring to the annual and special audit reports, sources said many functionaries, including the district Nazims, were facing the charges of financial irregularities committed in different development schemes through misuse of powers.

An official of the local government and rural development department told Dawn that investigations were under way and the commission would complete the task by the end of June.

He said the commission, headed by the provincial minister for local government and rural development, had directed the audit offices to finalize reports in their districts. The reports would be sent to the chief minister to take action against the district Nazims involved.

The sources said that city district Nazim Peshawar and Nazim Town-III had been accused of misusing their powers. "The commission has got proof in black and white against many districts, towns and union councils Nazims as well as local government officials at the district level," the official said.

He pointed out that many development schemes had been completed or sanctioned in the city district without fulfilling legal requirements. Under section 20 of the Local Government Ordinance 2001, the district Nazim shall be personally responsible for any loss flowing from the decisions made by him in violation of the ordinance.

The sources said that the commission had received complaints from Nowshera, Abbottabad and Batagram districts - all governed by Nazims belonging to the parties opposed to the MMA-led government in the province.

They said that investigations against Peshawar and Charsadda district governments were in final stages. The four-member commission would start investigation in Nowshera soon.

MPA Khalid Waqar Chamkani, chairman of the seven-member special committee formed to take action against two district Nazims on the recommendations of the audit officials, said that hearing against Kohistan district Nazim Maulana Obaidullah had been completed.

However, he added, the committee withheld its report because the case was pending in the Peshawar High Court. The hearing against Bannu district Nazim Malik Iqbal, he added, was under way and the report might be tabled in the provincial assembly in the next session.