Nazim is the title in Urdu of the chief elected official of a local government in Pakistan.
Description
A
nazim, from the Arabic word for "organizer" or "convenor" (similar to
mayor), is the coordinator of cities and towns in
Pakistan. Nazim is the title in
Urdu of the chief elected official of a local government in
Pakistan, such as a district,
tehsil, union council, or village council.
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target="_blank" rel="nofollow"> Election of Nazim / Naib Nazim of District Tehsil / Town / Neighborhood/Village Councils The "chief nazim," or district nazim, is elected by the nazims of Union Councils, Union Councillors, and Tehsil Nazims, who themselves are elected directly by the votes of the electorate, the district nazim can also be removed by councillors if they feel any wrongdoing has taken place or if they band together and wish to remove the nazim.
[ Torghar council: District nazim likely to be removed on July 4 - The Express Tribune]
Deputy
A Naib Nazim, or deputy Nazim, is an elected deputy government official.
[ Zila Nazims & Naib Zila Nazims in the Province of NWFP - NRB Local Government Elections] The word "Naib" means assistant or deputy whilst
Nazim is similar to a mayor, hence Naib Nazim is similar in function to a deputy mayor.
[ Overview of Town Municipal Administration - City Government of Lahore]
History
Pakistan originally had a system inherited from the time of
British India rule, in which a
Mayor was the head of a
district. Under the Local Government Act, however, the role of the nazim became distinct from that of a
Mayor, with more power. The nazim system was introduced after the commissionerate system, imposed during British rule, was lifted by the government of Pakistan. Now there is no
commissioner for any of the divisions, deputy commissioner for the
, or assistant commissioners, since the
Local Government act was imposed in the country in 2001. The one exception is
Islamabad, the federal capital, where the commissionerate system remains in effect.
In 2009, the new government restored the commissionerate system in the divisions but the nazims also remain in power.
See also
