Torghar council: District nazim likely to be removed on July 4

Was arrested Sunday for allegedly opening fire at district councillor

MANSEHRA: The Torghar district nazim and naib nazim are likely to be removed from their offices on July 4 when the members would vote regarding the no-confidence motion that the 16-member alliance of PTI, ANP and JUI-F, jointly took to the district council on Monday.

The session started amid tight security in and around the district council on Monday. Since district nazim Noor Muhammad was already in jail after allegedly attacking and attempting to kidnap one of PTI’s district councillors, Amrullah Khan, on Sunday night, the session was chaired by Hussain Ahmed Khan. The opposition leader, Nasir Khan, from ANP, chargesheeted the district nazim on behalf of the alliance and demanded his removal from the office through the no-confidence move. After heated debates and scuffles the convener accepted the no-confidence move for voting which was scheduled for July 4 under the LGA, 2013. On this occasion the house which has total strength of 23 members, also unanimously approved the rules of business for the house.

Session for move

Speaking to The Express Tribune, Dilroz Khan justified his move of no-confidence against his own party’s district nazim with a bundle of complaints. About Chief Minister Pervez Khattak’s instructions regarding not disturbing Noor Muhammad, Dilroz Khan said he met the CM and apprised him on the position, convincing him to allow him go ahead. “When I told CM sahib that it is PTI who would again benefit from the no-trust move, he agreed and asked me to move ahead”, Dilroz Khan said.

Meanwhile, according to the police, the district nazim and district councillor from PTI, Amrullah Khan, were arrested Sunday evening when both accused each other of opening fire and kidnapping

On and off

These councillors filed an application with the assistant director of local government against Torghar district nazim Noor Muhammad Khan, of PTI, three months back. But the latter went to the high court and got a stay order against the no-confidence move. However, last week the Abbottabad bench of Peshawar High Court allowed the councillors to take the no-confidence motion as it was their democratic right under the Local Government Act, 2013.

Therefore, councillors, headed by the prospective district nazim, Dilroz Khan, submitted an application with the assistant director who convened the session on Monday.

Backdrop

Noor Muhammad and naib nazim Shamzad Khan were elected as independent candidates but they later joined PTI.

However, soon after they took over, they failed to garner the support of party members due to policies, which according to their detractors, were against the party’s line and spirit of the local government system.

However, it is said when the application was taken up for no-confidence with the assistant director of local government, the district nazim approached the CM and ANP provincial chief Amir Haider Hoti. He won their consent and they subsequently asked their party members to desist from voting out the sitting district nazim.

But despite clear instructions from senior party leaders the district councillors of PTI and ANP continued with their plan and formally took the no- confidence motion to the district council.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 28^th, 2016.