Councillors protest planned sacrilegious sketches exhibition

PESHAWAR: Staging protest against the planned exhibition of sacrilegious sketches in the Netherlands, the councillors on Wednesday asked the government to sever diplomatic relations with the country.

The district councillors staged the protest before the proceedings of the council and chanted slogans against the Netherlands and the United States. The naib nazim and convener of the district council, Syed Qasim Ali Shah, chaired the session.

Opposition leader Muhammad Saeed Zahir, Jamaat-e-Islami parliamentary leader Khalid Waqas Chamkani, ANP’s Alamzeb Yousafzai and PPP councillor Jamil Khan criticised the Election Commission of Pakistan for failing to conduct free and fair election. The opposition councillors were wearing black armbands to protest the alleged rigging in the general election.

Muhammad Saeed Zahir said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had formed government in three provinces and centre while the district council was also being run by the PTI.

Therefore, he said, the district nazim should secure special grants from the PTI leadership and address the grievances of the people of Peshawar.

He suggested to the district government to launch a mega project in Peshawar with the assistance of the provincial government. He also criticised Prime Minister Imran Khan’s announcement to elect district nazim through direct vote, saying it would weaken the council.

“Direct election of nazim would affect the accountability of the nazim by councillors,” he added. The opposition members objected to the cut on the 30 percent development fund and asked the district government to demand 30 percent ADP fund and special grant from the provincial government.

The councillors from opposition and ruling parties expressed dissatisfaction over the police, education, health and Water and Sanitation Services, Peshawar.

Responding to the opposition criticism, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) councillors rejected the claim, saying that Pakistanis have voted PTI into power and asked the opposition to wait for five years.

They asked the opposition parties to assist the PTI government in making “Naya Pakistan.” PTI councillor Mena Khan Afridi asked the government to conduct a parliamentary inquiry into the University of Agriculture incident. He said the official had abused his authority by pointing gun at a student.

The PTI councillor also asked the vice-chancellor to step down from his position as he had failed to protect the interest of the university.

District Nazim Muhammad Asim Khan assured the councillors that SSP Operation had been directed to present three -month performance report to the council. He condemned the sacrilegious sketches and asked the Muslim World to play a productive role in putting an end to such practices.