PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtukhwa Chief Secretary Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry has asked all the government functionaries, including the police officials, to strictly refrain from assisting or taking part in any political activity in official as well personal capacity.

These directives were issued by the chief secretary through a letter to the government functionaries in which he also drew their attention towards a Nov 21 letter of the Establishment Division to the officers of Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS) and Police Service of Pakistan (PSP).

“Being cadre administrator for the officers of PAS and PSP, the Establishment Division expects that in times of heightened political activity, the duty of maintaining law and order is performed with utmost professionalism and neutrality in such situations, the standards of the conduct applicable on government officers as elaborated in Government Servants (Conduct) Rules 1964, are the fundamental norms,” reads the letter written by the Establishment Division.

“It is, therefore, directed that officers of PAS and PSP in their official as well as personal capacity shall, with reference to the announced demonstration on 24 November 2024, strictly refrain from assisting political activity in any manner. This includes allowing or condoning the use state machinery (finance, personnel, machinery or other resources) to assist or facilitate political objectives,” it said.

Chief secretary warns legal action in case of violation; centre asks province to ensure state machinery not used during PTI protest

It warned that failure to comply with the above instructions “shall be viewed adversely and officers found guilty of non-compliance shall be deemed liable for disciplinary action under the Civil Servants (Efficiency and Discipline) Rules, 2020.”

In response, the chief secretary through a letter directed the government functionaries to resist any pressure or temptation to misuse official resources, assets, or authority in support for any political party.

“You must all refrain from providing direct or indirect support to any political party or activity, whether through your person, subordinates or the resources at your disposal,” reads the letter issued from the chief secretary’s office on Thursday.

The letter, addressing the KP police chief, provincial secretaries, divisional commissioners and deputy commissioners, regional and district police officers, head of the attached departments, autonomous and semi-autonomous bodies besides all TMAs and other heads of local government institution, reads that “any misuse of official resources, assets, or authority would constitute a grave breach of duty and tarnish their image as public servants for which there would be no leniency.”

“Any deviation from this principle will be dealt with decisively and shall invite strict legal consequences,” it warned.

The chief secretary told the officers that compliance to political leadership was limited only to the execution of lawful orders aligned with the Constitution, adding that the officers were expected to observe professional code of conduct and uphold political neutrality at all costs.

“Let your actions reflect the highest standards of integrity, as public looks towards you for unbiased governance,” said the letter, titled “Observance of Professional Code of Conduct and Adherence to Political Neutrality.”

The chief secretary has told the officers that their positions, empowered by the state, carried a profound responsibility to serve the people and uphold the law without fear, favour or prejudice.

He informed the officers that as custodians of public trust, they were bound to perform duties impartially, irrespective of the political landscape, adding that their allegiance was to the Constitution and the state, not to any political party or leader.

It is pertinent to mention that last month, Punjab police had arrested 41 personnel of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Rescue 1122 and also took into possession 17 of its vehicles, which were part of the rally led by KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur from Peshawar to Islamabad.

Apart from them, 34 police personnel and seven officials of TMAs were also arrested as they were accompanying the protesters.

The impounded vehicles of Rescue 1122 included seven fire trucks, three water bowsers, six ambulances and one crane.

Subsequently, the arrested officials were set free on bail by the relevant courts in Islamabad and Punjab.

Separately, the Ministry of Interior also asked the KP chief secretary to ensure that state machinery or finances are not used by the PTI for its protest on November 24.

In a letter written to the chief secretary, the ministry said in the wake of the protest call given by the PTI it may be ensured that the provincial government did not utilise state machinery, equipment, officials or finances.

During the last protest held by the PTI on October 5, the capital police while searching the KP House in Islamabad for Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur had claimed to have found official weapons, rubber bullets, uncounted teargas shells along with sacks of stones, face masks and seized them.

At a news conference on October 6, the Islamabad police chief had alleged that official resources of KP, including police weapons, clubs, masks and teargas shells, were used by the protesters.

Interestingly, in a letter to the chief secretary, dated Nov 18, a copy of which is available with Dawn, the KP finance department had stated that in addition to Rs230 million already paid to different departments of the provincial government regarding the Oct 5 protest, the request of pending dues amounting to over Rs583 million had also been received from the relevant departments.

“With another similar event approaching on November 24, it is requested that the balance amount of fifty eight crore, thirty eight lac and twenty thousand only be released to all concerned so that services for the next event can be met accordingly”, said the letter.

The interior ministry on October 6 had constituted a committee to probe the use of government resources and manpower by the KP government in the political rally to Islamabad.

The committee, comprising Additional Secretary Interior Riffat Mukhtar as convener and FIA Additional Director General Munir Masood Marath and a representative of IB as members, was formed to ascertain the number of government vehicles used in the rally besides the number of public officials who took part in the protest.

— Munawer Azeem from Islamabad also contributed to the report

Published in Dawn, November 22th, 2024