LAHORE: Mines and Minerals Minister Sher Ali Gorchani and other legislators in the Punjab Assembly on Friday managed to get the department’s administrative secretary Babar Aman Babar transferred for not joining the house proceedings in violation of its rules of procedure.

Upon his failure to attend the assembly session during the question hour, Mr Babar was called to appear before the assembly’s Privileges Committee that termed his conduct as ‘unprofessional’ as well as ‘contemptuous’ and recommended his removal from his post. A formal transfer order was issued on Friday that directed him to report to the S&GAD for further orders.

The matter, however, is not simple as there is more to it than meets the eye.

Mr Babar had proceeded against the minister of his department and his brother in an award of sand contract in Rajanpur as well as ordered an inquiry against the MPA from Faisalabad, Rana Abdul Razzaq, on charges of theft of minerals.

Mr Razzaq was the prime mover of the privilege motion in the Punjab Assembly on Thursday.

Mines and minerals officer had ‘offended his higher-up by following rules’ in award of contracts

The minister and the secretary’s relations had gone sour when the latter took action against the department officers on corruption charges and the beneficiary contractors in the mines and minerals department. Mr Babar had passed orders against the illegal refunds to Sher Zaman Gorchani – the brother of Mines and Minerals Minister Sher Ali Gorchani.

According to documents, available with Dawn, Mr Babar had conducted an inquiry in a case no. SOT(M&M) 9-1/2024 “Sher Zaman vs Director Licensing Minor Minerals etc.” under the Punjab Mining Concession Rules, 2002.

The secretary had, in the matter of Feb 22, 2024 order passed by the Licensing Authority on an appeal filed by ex-lessee Sher Zaman to refund bid money and security in respect of the cancelled mining lease of sand gravel near Tuziani over an area of 477.27 acres in Rajanpur district.

He observed that the order was not in line with rules and directed the DG(M&M) and licensing authority to maintain status quo and not to refund the bid money to the ex-lessee.

In another case of a contract of sand in Rajanpur, the Lahore High Court remanded the case to the secretary who cancelled the contract and ordered rebidding.

Well-placed sources in the department told Dawn the minister of mines had pressured the district administration not to hold the auctions. But due to written orders by the secretary, auctions were held again which fetched almost double the amount than the previous one.

Moreover, written references on corruption charges were submitted by Mr Babar against the DG and the director minerals. On the approval of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, Director-General Abdul Shakoor and Director Muhammad Ijaz Joiya were transferred and directed to report to the S&GAD for further orders on Sept 13. Sources allege that these transfers further infuriated the minister.

MPA Rana Abdul Razzaq Khan, the mover of privilege motion, is a contractor and doing salt business in Khushab as a partner with M/s Harmain Chemicals.

According to documents, available with Dawn, the secretary had passed an order against Harmain Chemicals as well as ordered an enquiry against theft of minerals.

In another case regarding the license assigned to M/s Sandal Bar, the secretary had constituted an enquiry committee and Mr Razzaq was allegedly pressurising the department to scrap the enquiry.

While the bureaucracy circles strongly reacted to the transfer of an administrative secretary without investigating the intentions and decried use of foul language by an MPA in the house.

When the media asked him questions outside the assembly, the secretary refused to comment on the matter, saying he, being a civil servant, could not give his statement in media. He, however, said, “Neither I take bribes nor tolerate it. I also do not tolerate a dubious person”.

Speaking to Dawn, MPA Rana Abdul Razzaq said secretary Babar had reinitiated an inquiry, which he had faced four times during the tenure of previous administrative secretary. “The salt mines were assigned to us over a year ago for 10 years,” he said.

He added that a habitual complainant was filing complaints and the same person again submitted the complaint and Mr Babar, yet again, initiated inquiry despite all explanations. He said it took years and years to work and reach salt in the mines.

Regarding Sandal Bar, he said, the company had approved salt after a work of some six years and claimed that the department secretary had permitted it to install a salt plant instead of Sodium Sulphate plant, chakki and other machinery. “Instead of facilitating the lessee, secretary Babar was trying to damage our business,” he added.

Minister Gorchani neither responded to calls nor a WhatsApp message.

Published in Dawn, November 2nd, 2024