LAHORE - The opposition and treasury benches in the City District Assembly are at daggers drawn causing an inordinate delay, approximately 6 months, in the assembly session. Opposition members are hell-bent to call the session forthwith to actuate the functioning of district assembly, saying assembly session could never be deterred at any reason. But the treasury benches have been turning down the request on different grounds. It holds a view that antagonistic attitude of Punjab government is a great impediment in the way of holding the session. It also said that unless issue of FIR registered against Nazim Mian Amer Mehmood and Naib Nazim Idrees Hanif stands unresolved, session could not be held. As per rules under the Punjab Local Government Ordinance, 2001, the district council is bound to call the session of the Lahore District Assembly in a month but due to the continual tussle between the opposition and government, session could not be called since July 2008. The assembly last met on July 23, when it presented a budget of Rs 30.73 billion for the financial year 2009. Sources privy to the development revealed that though firm decision was taken to summon session of Lahore District Assembly on January 27 during the nazims' meeting, but plan was dropped at the eleventh hour. Lahore Naib District Nazim Idrees Hanif, the assembly's convener, said, "We have been named in the FIR during last riot in the assembly." How is it possible that facing FIR we could call the session of assembly? He said. He also said that the Punjab's current hostile political environment is also a hurdle in calling the session. He said it was wrong that under the Local Government Ordinance it was mandatory for the assembly to hold monthly sessions. He said the assembly was inactive, as the district governments had been made dysfunctional. He said most district assemblies were not holding sessions, adding that they saw no point considering that the district governments' jurisdiction had been encroached. Opposition leader Akbar Khan informed The Nation, "We are poised to submit requisition to call assembly session." A number of meeting had been held to enlist the points to be put forward during the session, he added. Detailing the programme, he said, "We will voice against the MPAs' involvement in using the funds allocated to only nazims under the Punjab Local Govt Ordinance 2001. We will also present the audit paragraphs of budget, demands of implementation committee regarding development projects, departmental issues about new appointments, promotional cases and structural changes." "We will also take up the issue of sanitation conflict and demand why the authority to check the attendance of sanitation staff of city district government Lahore could not be given back to nazims under the LHC orders instead of DCO Lahore, Sajjad Ahmed Bhutta," he added. Another opposition leaders in district assembly, Ilyas Khan belonging to the PML-N said that during the last meeting amongst the members of opposition, it was unanimously decided that they would requisition for the assembly session. He said that there were reports that assembly session convenor was going to call the session on January 27 or 31. But still he could not see visible development in this regard. During the session they will demand that MPAs, whether they are associated with PML-N, would never be allowed to meddle into the affairs of nazims. He said that there was visible line between powers of the elected representatives of the Punjab Assembly and elected representatives of the district assembly. He said that Punjab government should wait for 30 June 2009.