PESHAWAR: Nazims of 22 districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa insist they`re confused and lack direction on their functions even more than a month after assuming office as the provincial government is delaying approval of rules of business and by-laws for local governments.

The nazims, who had gathered at a local hotel for a two-day orientation workshop, regretted the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Local Government Act, 2013, was passed two years ago prior to the local government elections but the government had yet to frame rules of business and by-laws for local bodies.

The event was organised by the Sub-National Governance Programme.

The nazims asked local government and rural development minister Inayatullah Khan and local government department`s highups, who were panelists on the first day of the event, why basic requirements for devolution were not met on time.

Mardan district nazim Himayatullah Mayar said neither the departments, which had a men-tion in the law, were devolved nor were the rules of business made for the functioning of their affairs.

`It is astonishing to know that the provincial government is contemplating to withdraw the devolution of some departments,` he said during the question-answer session.

Mayar, who belongs to the Awami National Party, said though four months had passed since local government elections were held in the province, the provincial government had yet to set up the Provincial Finance Commission.

He said instead of announcing the PFC award, the government had withheld the release of development funds to districts.

`Three months of the financial year has passed but the use of development funds has yet to be initiated,` he said.

Kohat district nazim Niaz Mohammad said rules of business for local bodies should have been with the nazims the day they`d assumed office.

`The people are asking us about development funds but we have no answer. We`ve no clear idea about them in the absence of PFC award,` he said.

Abbottabad district nazim Sardar Sher Bahader said the PTIled provincial government had apparently changed its mind regarding devolution of powers to the district after it failed to get desired results in the recent local government elections.

He said the proposed rules of business prepared prior to the local body polls had been changed as the provincial government expectedthe ruling PTI and coalition partners would sweep elections.

`Actually, the PTI`s intension was to devolve power to its own people, but after elections, it (government) has aimed at clipping the powers of district nazims through the proposed rules of business,` he said.

Lakki Marwat district nazim Ishfaq Ahmad said he recently asked the deputy commissioner in his district to stop making appointments to different devolved departments until rules of business were in place for local government, but to no avail.

He said the district education officer, who was replaced lately, had issued orders for the transfer of many teachers in the district on the last day in office, without con-sulting him.

Shangla district nazim Niaz Ahmad said the powers of the divisional commissioners and deputy commissioners should be clarified as they ignored district nazims while taking key decisions.

Responding to the questions of nazims, local government minister Inayatullah Khan said the ongoing financial year was a `transitional year` with nazims and provincial government facing certain issues.

`The rules of business for local governments will be approved within few days,` he said.

The minister said the PFC formation was in its final stages.

Information minister Mushtaq Ghani, finance minister Muzaffar Said and chief secretary Amjad Ali Khan were also in attendance.