RAWALPINDI: Revenue officials went on pen down strike over registration of a case against their colleague for allegedly threatening to kill Cantonment assistant commissioner.

The assistant commissioner had launched an inquiry against the revenue official (patwari) for allegedly taking bribe from a citizen for transferring his father’s land in his name.

The Civil Lines Police Station has registered the case on the complaint of the assistant commissioner’s reader Mohammad Jama against the revenue official of Patwar Circle Mouza Dehgal tehsil Cantonment. He is alsothe president of the Patwari Association.

According to the FIR, the revenue official entered the office during the revenue court hearing. The complainant claimed that the patwari forcibly entered the Assistant Commissioner Almas Sabeeh’s office on Saturday and used inappropriate language.

Revenue official had been booked for ‘threatening’ assistant commissioner

In fact, the assistant commissioner had summoned the patwari on the complaint of a citizen in which he had alleged that Patwari Tahir Warraich had demanded bribe from him for transferring his land.

The assistant commissioner suspended the patwari for misconduct and launched an inquiry against him under Punjab Employees, Efficiency, Discipline and Accountability Act 2006.

A senior official of the district administration told Dawn that the assistant commissioner had been provided evidence of call record in which the patwari was demanding the bribe.

He said the citizen had submitted an application by his lawyer. Hearing was fixed for last Wednesday but the Patwari didn’t show up. When appeared on Saturday, he was asked to prove his innocence in the case but he failed.

After this, Anjuman Patwarian observed pen down strike in the district and it created problems for the people who visited the revenue offices for their work.

Meanwhile, Commissioner Amir Khattak has asked deputy commissioners of six districts of Rawalpindi Division to attend public complaints at the Registrar Offices of land revenue department and make sure that all arrangements for public convenience are there.

He stated this in a meeting held at the Commissioner’s Office Rawalpindi which was attended by additional deputy commissioner general Dr Hassan Tariq, Director Local Government Syed Sibtain Kazmi and heads of other departments concerned.

He said that a schedule for visits of deputy commissioners, additional deputy commissioners and assistant commissioners should be issued in the Registrar Offices.

“Notorious Patwaris who are causing inconveniences to the public and bringing bad name to the department, should immediately be taken to task,” he said.

He also directed that all departments should follow their court cases properly and no absenteeism in this regard will be tolerated. He said that Additional Deputy Commissioners Revenue have been named by the administration as focal personnel for court cases.

He said that the district heads, however, share a detailed report of their court cases and the update of proceedings within a day. In addition, the heads of the departments will give certificates that no case is delayed on their part.

He said that unnecessary delays in court cases causes inconvenience to the public, so we should remain vigilant. Due to negligence of any department, delay in pursuit of the cases is not acceptable so strict disciplinary action will be taken against the head of department.

Mr Khattak added that e-tendering should be ensured for all development schemes.

Published in Dawn, March 26th, 2025