MULTAN, Nov 1: The chief minister's directive to consult the area MPAs while appointing Zakat administrators led to a row between the local ruling party legislators and the district Zakat and Usher chairman.

Multan district Zakat and Usher chairman Capt Nasir Ali Mahey (retired) had moved an application to the DPO to register a criminal case against the three ruling party MPAs - Muhammad Ibraheem Khan, Furqan Mughal and Rana Ijaz Noon.

The MPAs had also held a news conference later on and accused the district Zakat chairman for damaging their reputation and showing disregard to the orders of Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi.

In his application, the Zakat chairman alleged that the three MPAs had barged into his office on Monday afternoon along with their armed bodyguards. The MPAs bolted his office room and thrashed him besides ransacking the office. He further alleged that as the 'assailants' restrained him from doing official work, they should also be held responsible for 'obstructing state operation'.

On the other hand, the MPAs denied they had beaten up the Zakat chairman saying that it was just a squabble. They said that there were complaints in their respective constituencies that the Zakat chairman had appointed some 'corrupt' people as administrators in various union councils for Zakat distribution.

They alleged the Zakat chairman threw away the CM's directive which they had shown to convince him that consultation with the ruling party MPAs was must before appointing Zakat administrators.

"The directive is not addressed to me, gentlemen", the MPAs quoted the Zakat chairman as saying arrogantly while showing total disregard to the CM's order. At this, the MPAs claimed, an exchange of hot words ensued and later they left the Zakat office in complete embarrassment.

They vowed to take the matter at the Punjab Assembly floor.

A few days ago, the Zakat chairman had meted out the same treatment to the Shujaabad tehsil Nazim, they maintained.

Meanwhile, DPO Sikandar said that he would first hold an inquiry into the incident before taking action against the three MPAs.