CHAKWAL: The deputy commissioner of Chakwal has accused Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Member National Assembly (MNA) Sardar Zulifqar Ali Khan of “political interference in the administrative matters” and sought action against the lawmaker.

In a letter addressed to the chief election commissioner, the registrar of the Supreme Court and the chief secretary Punjab on Monday, DC Ghulam Saghir Shahid stated that the MNA from NA 64 (Chakwal I) sent a list of Patwaris asking for their transfer and posting according to his will.

“It is brought to your kind notice that Sardar Zulifqar Ali Khan MNA NA 64 (Chakwal I) sent a sealed envelope to the undersigned on 31-08-2018. On opening of the same it transpired that he had recommended 17 officials (Girdawars and Patwaris) of Revenue Department for their posting/transfer. The list was dully signed by the MNA.”

Mr Shahid said MNA Zulifqar visited him at 4pm on Sept 1 and insisted on posting and transfer of the 17 officials as per the list sent by him. The DC said on Sept 3 the MNA phoned him and asked for the cancellation of transfer order of Mohammad Aslam, a patwari, who was transferred from tehsil Kallar Kahar to tehsil Choa Saidan Shah on Aug 31.

“Background of the case is that Assistant Commissioner Choa Saidan Shah made a written request on 28-08-2018 that there was acute shortage of revenue field staff in the said tehsil because of which the official work was suffering. The undersigned being competent authority transferred five patwaris from tehsil Chakwal and Kallar Kahar and posted them in tehsil Choa Saidan Shah on administrative ground and in the best public interest.”

Mr Shahid said that on Sept 3 the MNA called him and asked for the cancellation of the transfer orders of five patwaris as their transfer was not recommended by him.

“I told him politely that posting/transfer of the revenue field staff was to be made by the district collector or assistant commissioner concerned in accordance with the policy and honourable MNA had no role in the posting/transfer.” The DC said he told the MNA that he would not make transfer and posting on his recommendation.

“In response thereof he resorted to threat and said he has to get all the postings/transfers as recommended by him and he will see who wins,” the DC wrote. He stated that political interference in the administrative matters by the MNA was unwarranted, unlawful and devoid of decency.

“It is therefore requested that necessary action under the law may be initiated against the aforementioned MNA for repeated political interference in the official matters”.

The list sent by the MNA to the DC carrying the names of different officials of the revenue department looked like an order.

“Transfer Sarfraz Patwari a resident of Dullah to Chakwal,” a sentence of the list in Urdu stated. Safraz Patwari belongs to the same village to which MNA Zulifqar belongs.

When contacted, the DC told Dawn that the MNA misbehaved with him. “My duty was to inform all relevant authorities which I have done,” he said.

MNA Sardar Zulifqar told Dawn that the DC did not want to work due to habits of not doing his duties.

“If 10 people from a village, including councillors and UC chairmen, came to me and ask me that they are satisfied with their patwari who should be retained in their area what should I do,” MNA asked.

He maintained that the DC had got embarrassed because he served last four years in former chief minister Shahbaz Sharif’s office.

“I am representative of the people and I have to take care of their problems,” said the MNA.

Published in Dawn, September 4th, 2018