FAISALABAD, June 18: Officials working under various departments of the Punjab government are at the mercy of a group of local parliamentarians because of its penchant for power abuse, it is learnt.

A recent incident of abuse of authority by the group is transfer of Faisalabad Arts Council Resident Director Asif Chaudhry who 'dared' to resist some unlawful demands of an MPA. The parliamentarian threatened him with dire consequences and got him transferred to Multan.

This led to reshuffle of six resident directors of Murree, Multan, Bahawalpur, Sargodha, Faisalabad and Gujranwala divisions. Dawn

Sources told that Mr Chaudhry had refused to allow a known female artist to perform in Jaranwala as desired by Khwaja Muhammad Islam, an MPA from PP-72.

The MPA also couldn't tolerate participation of one of the ticket-holders of his party as chief guest at a function organised by the arts council, said the sources who claimed the officer had been transferred on the direction of officials serving at the Chief Minister's Secretariat rather than his parent department.

The officials had been informed that the arts council resident director had strong connections with the Pakistan People's Party office-bearers and was ignoring the recommendations of the PML-N activists.

On being informed about the transfer order, sources said, a number of government officials requested the MPA to be considerate towards the officer (Mr Chaudhry) who might have unintentionally ignored his directions.

However, the MPA remained adamant and refused to ask the CM Secretariat officials to withdraw his transfer order.

Sources said Khwaja Islam had apparently acquiesced in to the demand that he would not get the officer removed but practically did otherwise.

The officer deserved credit for invigorating cultural activities by getting the Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan Auditorium project completed. He also organised different cultural activities at the auditorium.

Sources said a senior district administration officer had refused to accept Mian Attique who has replaced Mr Chaudhry, and asked the government to withdraw orders. Dawn

A government functionary confided to on the request of anonymity that the government performance had declined in Faisalabad because of a “powerful group of PML-N politicians who are dictating their terms in every affair.”

The officials, he said, had to work according to the MPs' will and many a senior officer was unable to handle the pressure.

Citing the example of a former ASP of Saddar, Sheikh Amjad, he said politicians ganged up against the officer and got him transferred from Faisalabad on fabricated charges. The ASP raided the outhouse of MPA Ajmal Asif to arrest a proclaimed offender, Ajmal by name.

Sources said some police officers tried their best to pacify the parliamentarians to avoid transfer of Sheikh but to no avail. The officer had been transferred just a few days after his appointment.

The transfer of a senior police officer sent a clear-cut message to the police that it's the men behind the puppet strings that mattered.

Similarly, the group also allegedly used its influence on Basant as SHO (Ghulam Mohammad-abad) Nasir Chattha had been transferred as punishment for his sin of refusing to obey the order of a parliamentarian who demanded some kite-flyers be freed.

The influential law violators were locked up at the police station along with scores of other people.

All the transferred officers, sources said, had strived to retain positions here because of immense problems they visualised in the wake of their transfer.

MPA Khwaja Islam deflected blame as he claimed the transferred FAC officer had abused his influence to sweep a Punjab Assembly query under the carpet. Not only that, he alleged, Asif Chaudhry was found abusing him (MPA) in his absence.