KASUR, April 30 A majority of the Kasur union council (UC) nazims defied `terrorism threats` alarmed by the district administration and held a session on the lawns of the district council hall on Thursday as the district administration had locked the hall.

Of 161 UC nazims, 87 attended the session and announced electing Pakistan People`s Party (PPP) candidate Imran Naul as district nazim. Nazims raised slogans against the district administration for creating hurdles in the way of election.

The slot of district nazim fell vacant after Rana Hayat from the Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) was disqualified by the Supreme Court one-and-a-half years ago for defaulting tax.

When District Naib Nazim Maqsood Sabir Ansari convened the session for Thursday, the district administration without consulting him, who is from the PML-Q, issued a handout on Wednesday announcing the postponement of the session because of `terrorist activities`.

The government took action after sensing defeat of Rana Shahzad Iqbal Khan, the son of Punjab Assembly Speaker Rana Iqbal Khan, who was a candidate for the slot.

A majority of the UC nazims from the PML-N, the PML-Q and the PPP formed a group against the Rana group. PML-Q candidate Naseer Ahmed Khan withdrew in the favour of PPP candidate Imran Naul who was `elected` unopposed.

The district council convener said he had submitted a notification regarding the unopposed election of Mr Naul to the Election Commission of Pakistan.

On the occasion, Mr Ansari said that by creating hurdles in the election of the house, the district administration and the Punjab government had insulted the public mandate.

He added that the Punjab government that always talks tall of democracy in the country had demonstrated undemocratic attitude.

Newly-elected District Nazim Imran Naul said that in order to oblige the disqualified district nazim, Rana Hayat, the Punjab government had allocated him funds worth Rs980 million which was “an insult to the house”.

COLLEGE TEACHERS The Punjab Professors and Lecturers Association has urged the government to increase their salary.

At a meeting at Government Islamia College auditorium, the association met where participants said that the salary of some lecturers was less than that of a police constable.

Science lecturers demanded that they be given special incentives as they consumed more time than other faculty members on studies and research.