MULTAN, Nov 24: The district assembly here on Monday protested the suspension of development funds for union council nazims, vacation of district nazim’s office to accommodate the district coordination officer and proposals for the imposition of agriculture tax and abolition of local government system.

The house passed various resolutions to protest the issues concerning the district government and devolution system.

Later, more than two dozen members of the district assembly led by district naib nazim Syed Wajid Ali Shah staged a demonstration and raised slogans against the PPP government.

Addressing the protesters, Shah said that nazims would strongly resist if the government tried to abolish the local government system.

He said agriculture was backbone of country’s economy and this sector was already facing multiple problems and imposition of agriculture tax would add to farmers’ woes. In a press statement, District Nazim Mian Faisal Mukhtar supported all the resolutions passed by the assembly.

He said the act of imposing ban on development funds of union councils by the government was a step against democracy. He said due to this decision, development work at grassroots level would come to a halt creating a lot of problems for the people.

Roads: Commissioner Syed Muhammad Ali Gardezi has said that work on the construction of Ring Road, southern and northern bypasses and extension of Bosan Road would start soon.

Presiding over a meeting held here on Monday to review the execution of development projects, Gardezi directed officials concerned to complete technical arrangements because work on these projects would start soon after receiving funds. He also directed Multan Development Authority (MDA) authorities to launch an operation against encroachments on Bosan Road.

MDA Director Engineering Chaudhary Muhammad Tahir said that Rs2.72 billion had been allocated for the construction of Ring Road and southern and northern bypasses under Prime Minister’s Development Package.

He said that Rs1.5 billion would be spent on the construction of 15-kilometre southern bypass that would link the Lahore-Multan-Quetta Road with Bahawalpur Chowk, Rs653 million would be spent on the construction of nine-kilometre northern bypass that would link the Lahore-Multan-Quetta Road with Bosan Road while 13-kilometre Ring Road would be constructed at the cost of Rs494 million which would link Kumharan Wala Chowk with Bosan Road via Muti Tull.

Works and Services EDO Rana Ghaus said that 183 roads schemes out of 301 costing Rs334 million had been completed while the remaining would be completed by the end of this year.

Highways Superintending Engineer Inaam Hashmi said that 16 road schemes were started under annual development programme out of which four were for Multan, seven for Khanewal and five for Vehari.

LEGHARI: Former president Farooq Khan Leghari is willing to help in mending fences within the PML-Q and act as arbitrator to end differences in the party, says his son and former minister Awais Leghari.

Talking to mediamen at Jampur, Awais said that some senior party leaders had sought Farooq Leghari's intervention to defuse the situation, reports APP. He said Nasrullah Dareshak and Leghari groups in Rajanpurhad grown poles apart but both had expressed their willingnessto accept Leghari's arbitration in party's interest.

Responding to a query, Awais Leghari said that the PML-Q would not enter into any alliance, either with the PPP or the PML-N, and asserted that the party was gearing up to sweep the next general elections.