Taking stock: Petition filed against curtailing powers of nazims

PML-N’s Daniyal says LG representatives have been deprived of funds

PESHAWAR: A petition has been filed against curtailing the powers of nazims and the failure to implement Police Order 2002.

The petition has been jointly filed by nazims, who predominantly belong to opposition parties in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly. They have been led by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader Daniyal Aziz.

The petition was filed at the Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Saturday. Aziz, accompanied by Awami National Party’s Himayatullah Mayar from Mardan district, PML-N’s Dr Ibadullah from Shangla and representatives of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl and Pakistan Peoples Party, said local government representatives were deprived of funds.

The PML-N leader announced they have decided to launch a movement against what they called an injustice. He added district conventions are being planned and will be initiated in the near future. He added the campaign will gather momentum with each passing day.



“The provincial government has been violating the law and cutting funds from the allocated amount for local government representatives,” Aziz said. He added the government had promised 30% of the development fund, but elected local government representatives have not been provided any funds.

Attempt to destabilise

He said Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf formed its government in nine out of 24 districts in the province. However, he added, PTI could not win in a majority of the districts.

According to Aziz, curtailing the powers of nazims clearly suggests other political parties were being blocked so that PTI can move further.

“It is a plot to destabilise the local government and we will not hesitate to go to any extent [to prevent this],” he said.

Aziz added they will not only fight a legal battle, but will also not hesitate to take to the streets and launch protests and demonstrations for the acceptance of their demands.

He added financial and administrative powers of the local government representatives were completely curtailed and nazims could face a no-confidence motion at the district assembly if they fail to pass a budget for their districts.

String of demands

Aziz demanded the account details of PTI Chairperson Imran Khan’s offshore company. He also made a series of demands from the Ehtesab Commission. These included a list of people being probed for various charges besides those against whom evidence was being collected.



He said K-P government claimed that crime had dropped sharply, which, according to Aziz was a false claim. The PML-N leader said the crime rate had in fact increased, owing to many kidnappings for ransom cases that had surfaced in the province.

The PML-N leader said PTI members of provincial and national assemblies had been identifying corruption cases in the province.

“However, where have the files, prepared by the Ehtesab Commission in the past gone?” he asked.

“Those who had claimed to end corruption in 90 days have failed to keep their words,” he said. “Their own people, who had launched inquiries against corruption, were sent back home, besides others who were being probed for corruption cases.”

“Why is the investigation report —filed following a probe into the Bank of Khyber scandal — not being made public?” the PML-N leader questioned. He said the report should be made available to the public as they would want to know what recommendations were proposed by the enquiry committee.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 19^th, 2016.