LAHORE: The caretaker Punjab government, in an unprecedented move, suspended the notifications issued for the creation of a new division, four new districts and two tehsils in the province, inviting a volley of questions, ranging from its jurisdiction to intentions behind the decision.

The caretaker government on Wednesday suspended the notifications for creation of the new administrative division of Gujrat, districts of Murree, Wazirabad, Talagang and Kot Addu, besides Jalalpur Jattan and Kunjah tehsils, till the holding of general elections in the province.

Senior Member Board of Revenue (SMBR) Nabeel Javed has issued the suspension notifications in pursuance of the provincial cabinet’s decision taken in its meeting on Feb 9.

Punjab Chief Secretary Zahid Akhtar Zaman, who was then SMBR and was involved in the process of notifying the new division, districts and tehsils under the previous Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government, told Dawn that the notifications have been suspended till elections due to non-availability of infrastructure and staff.

Officials, opposition politicos see ‘no logic’ in the decision

“The division, districts and tehsils will automatically be restored after the general elections in Punjab,” he stated.

However, the bureaucratic circles and the former government functionaries term the caretakers’ decision questionable, arguing that this set up does not carry the mandate to reverse the decisions taken by an elected government -- chief minister and the cabinet -- as per the Supreme Court verdict in the Mustafa Impax case.

Sources in the bureaucracy say the decisions of creating new entities were made by an elected government and they would not impact the prospects of general elections in Punjab.

“The caretaker Punjab government has not shown any commitment to hold elections so far, nor the notifications explain this kind of commitment,” a senior officer privy to the developments says, and adds that there is no logic in the issuance of suspension notifications.

“This is a dangerous behaviour and sets a bad precedence,” the officer says.

Another senior officer in the Punjab government says the notifications to undo the decisions taken by the former regular government are being seen as a “serious political decision”.

Seeing no logic in the suspension of the notified entities, the officer says, “It seems the top bureaucracy has been conveyed a decision and asked to frame and implement it anyway.”

“The fresh notifications are just compliance of orders,” the officer adds.

After the creation of new entities, the officer says, the commissioner, deputy commissioners and district police officers were posted there, including those having regular charge.

The officer says the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa caretaker governments are also deliberating whether the fresh digital census data be considered for holding elections or not.

The PTI leaders also believe that the incumbent caretaker government, as well as the Election Commission of Pakistan, want to delay the election date beyond the constitutional time-frame of 90 days after the dissolution of the two provincial assemblies.

Sources in the PML-Q say the caretaker Punjab government’s fresh notifications should be challenged in the court of law.

Published in Dawn, February 16th, 2023