LAHORE - Following Auditor General's explanation that audit report concerning financial irregularities of district governments did not in any way prove that district nazims were involved in corruption, and the latest offensive launched by district nazims under the umbrella of Punjab Governor, the Punjab government on Thursday turned out to be defensive on the issue, as it changed its earlier stance and maintained that neither the audit report nor the government ever pinpointed any nazim for his alleged corruption. Addressing a news conference at Chief Minister's secretariat here, Punjab Minister for Law, Rana Sanaulla, Senior advisor to Punjab CM, Sardar Zulfiqar Ali Khosa and Punjab Minister for Local Government, Sardar Dost Muhamad Khosa said that nazims were raising hue and cry without any justification, as neither of them had been specifically nominated for financial irregularities either in the audit report or by the local government department. "The investigation regarding alleged corruption of district nazims is still under way, and the government is yet to prove the allegations against district nazims. Punjab chief minister is also opposed to any action against them unless they are proven guilty," Zulfiqar Khosa maintained, but hurried to add that government will, however, not spare any nazim if the allegations against him prove true. "They are raising hue and cry just to pre-empt any possible action against them for their alleged corruption," he further observed. The government representatives, however, failed to satisfy queries of journalists who wanted to know as to why the government got advertisements published in the press against nazims accusing them of committing corruption before proving the charges against them, and secondly, will the government also publish financial irregularities of provincial departments as mentioned in their annual audit reports. Both Senior advisor Zulfiqar Khosa and Law Minister Rana Sana were seen beating about the bush while answering these questions, as they repeatedly quoted the said audit report, which, they themselves confessed was not a proof of nazims' corruption. Responding to a question about nazims' stance that DCOs being the drawing and disbursing officers should be held responsible for any financial irregularity in their respective districts, Khosa asked if this was the case, then as to why they (nazims) take credit of carrying a lot of development work in their districts. He said Gen (R) Pervez Musharraf did not allow audit of local governments in the last eight years, as he used to say that they (nazims) were his men and no body should touch them. Replying to a question, Khosa said that many district nazims were desirous of joining the PML-N, but they have been told in no unambigious terms that party cover would not be of any help to them if corruption charges against them prove true. Khosa also dispelled the impression that Punjab government was against the district governments. "It was the PML-N government which conducted local bodies' election twice in the past," he argued. Speaking on the occasion, Rana Sana said that Punjab Governor and the district nazims were part of Gen (R) Pervez Musharraf's team, and were conspiring against the present democratic set up. He said the remnants of Musharraf wanted to push the PPP and the PML-N back into the era of dictatorship of 1980s, but Punjab government would not let them do so. "We would not allow Musharraf's team to get hold of the country," he affirmed. Khosa accused Punjab Governor of performing the role of Musharraf's agent in Punjab. Clarifying Punjab government's position over the local government system, law minister said that Punjab Assembly was the right forum to take some decision about the fate of these governments after extensive debate in the House.