February 4, 2003	Tuesday	Zul Hijjah 2,1423

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MULTAN, Feb 3: The Dera Bugti district administration on Monday sent the Rajanpur political assistant back to the Punjab, denying him ‘asylum’ against what the PA alleges highhandedness of his superiors.

Chaudhry Muhammad Aslam, a PCS officer, had left Rajanpur on Sunday morning for Dera Bugti on an official vehicle along with a driver belonging to the Mazari clan. Initial reports revealed that he had tried to meet Nawab Akbar Bugti there but failed.

Later, he met Dera Bugti District Nazim Zulfiqar Bugti and reportedly sought asylum. The Nazim though refused to oblige him, offered him hospitality for a day. An official source in Dera Bugti, while quoting the PA, told Dawn that he had been fed up with the treatment being meted out to him by his seniors in the district administration since the emergence of ‘Sui gas crisis’ in the third week of the last month.

Talking to this correspondent late Sunday night from Dera Bugti, Chaudhry Aslam said he had been under immense pressure since the arrival of Rangers to guard the gas line. He claimed he was directed by the district coordination officer to arrange vehicles for their patrolling on Sui Road besides remaining at the beck and call of the incharge of the rangers contingent posted at Mazari Goth.

He said he could not tolerate the other day when the rangers officer sent him to market to purchase a broom for his room located in a rest house on Sui Road. Chaudhry Aslam said when he lodged a complaint with the DCO, he abused him and directed him to ‘cooperate with the paramilitary force’.

He said he did not want to work under such humiliating circumstances. “I am a law graduate and own a piece of agricultural land in Bahawalnagar which can support me,” he said.

Rajanpur DCO Samiullah Abid denied that there had been any exchange of harsh words between him and Chaudhry Aslam. He also claimed that Rangers were no liability on the district administration. Infact, he said, the PA could not endure the workload which had been increased in recent days due to the gas pipeline blasts.

He confirmed that the PA had been sent back by the Dera Bugti administration, but said he had yet to meet him. The DCO said he could tell the reasons behind his (the PA) ‘escape’ only after hearing his version.

The office of political assistant was introduced by the British government in the subcontinent to control the wild hill tribes in various parts of their domain, including Dera Ghazi Khan and Rajanpur. Previously, preference had been given to a DMG (district management group) officer of the Central Superior Services for the posting as PA. Specially, those officers were selected who belonged to Balochistan or tribal areas because they could better understand the tribal customs and mindset.

Sources disclosed on Monday that a disciplinary action was in the offing against Chaudhry Aslam and a DMG officer was being posted in his place.

Official sources in Multan gave out that a few years ago Chaudhry Aslam had invited wrath of his seniors while his posting as magistrate here. They said he had started fining the families of the officers who used official vehicles.