PESHAWAR, Oct 28: NWFP Governor Syed Iftikhar Hussain Shah has said that district Nazims had all the power to maintain law and order in their respective districts.

“However, we have to look to this issue in the overall perspective and devise ways and means to control the negative effects of an event in one district from spreading to other districts. The provincial government would play a supportive role for the maintenance of law and order in a given district, however, we must have to ensure vertical and horizontal coordination and use the method of mutual consultation,” he said.

The governor was addressing a joint meeting of district Nazims and provincial secretaries here on Saturday, according to a handout.

The meeting focused on the overall law and order situation in the province, implementation of the power devolution plan, issues confronting district governments and other related affairs.

The governor said that the new role of district Nazims was a key for the maintenance of law and order situation. The powers of district magistracy have been shifted to the district Nazims including imposition of 144 CrPC, call out civil armed and military forces. However, what was needed was that the district Nazims should fully use their powers for ensuring public order in their respective districts. He also underlined mutual coordination among the district governments.

Mr Shah appreciated the stance of certain political parties at this critical junctures of history, saying that there was a handful elements agitating against the decision taken by the government in the supreme national interests. “We are not worried by the strength of these groups and they can not create problems for the government,” he said.