No rift in KP PTI ranks: Khattak

Announces amendments to Rules of Business of LG Ordinance;
says nazims to write ACRs of officials; 50pc powers transferred to nazims

PESHAWAR: Insisting that there was no rift in the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Chief Minister Pervez Khattak said on Saturday two members of provincial assembly had been expelled from the party for violating discipline.

Speaking at a news conference, he avoided making any comments when asked about the protest of some dissident PTI MPAs against his government.

Pervez Khattak said they had expelled two MPAs from his party, while the third was an independent.

He said the leadership could take action against any member for violating party line.

Flanked by senior ministers, Sikandar Sherpao and Inayatullah Khan and provincial minister Shah Farman, MPA Shaukat Yousafzai, District Nazim Mohammad Asim and others, he announced amendments to the Rules of Business of the Local Government Ordinance 2013.

He said his government had transferred 50 percent powers to the district nazims and they would have to take approval for all the development schemes from the deputy commissioners.

The district nazims would have the powers to write the annual confidential reports (ACRs) of government officials, the chief minister added.

He said that the government had decided to amend the Local Government Act and it would be presented in the provincial assembly for approval.

The chief minister said the district nazims would be the chief executive of their respective districts, but they would have to take prior approval from the provincial government for posting and transfer of officials.

The chief minister recalled that he had formed a committee to empower the nazims, adding, two nazims from the government and opposition had been included in the committee.

He announced that financial committees at district and tehsil level were being formed.

Pervez Khattak said that the district nazim would be the head of development schemes while the tehsil nazim would be the head of the committee at tehsil level.

He maintained that it would be compulsory for the heads of government departments to attend the meeting convened by the district nazims.  

The chief minister said that Rs33 billion had been allocated for the local government. However, he said it would be their endeavour to provide 100 percent funds for the district governments.

Out of the total budget at district level, he said, 20 percent would be reserved for education while 10 percent for health.

To a question, the chief minister said that PTI chief Imran Khan wanted 100 percent result from the provincial government. The chief minister said his government couldn’t achieve all targets and goals and accepted that there were many hurdles and problems.

He asked Imran Khan to launch protest against the federal government from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.