LAHORE, Jan 15: Governor Salmaan Taseer has again asked the Punjab government to publicly apologise to nazims for accusing them of corruption on the basis of audit reports which, he said, were beyond its comprehension.

Talking to reporters after a meeting with 23 district nazims here at the Governor’s House on Thursday, he said he was handling the issue without the consideration of political affiliations.

According to him, those indulging in irregularities must be proceeded against but action should not be taken till the establishment of crime. The governor regretted the “wastage of public money” on the advertisements against nazims. He said the provincial government was required to admit that it had made a mistake by maligning the nazims through the advertisements, and apologise.

“It must now show magnanimity and admit its mistake,” he said.

Taseer said now the government was required to find out as to which of its officers had tainted its image by running the advertisements.