26 December 2004	Sunday	13 Ziqa'ad 1425

TOBA TEK SINGH, Dec 25: Former Public Accounts Committee chairman and PML-N leader, M Hamza, has said that the ruling party parliamentarians have been given a free hand to misbehave with government officials to get their 'unfair' recommendations implemented.

In a press statement here, he alleged that Gojra PML MPA Chaudhry Bilal Asghar Warraich pressurized health EDO Dr Akram Zahid for the transfer of a hospital employee. He said the EDO had met district Nazim Muhammad Ashfaq and DCO Karim Bakhsh Abid and expressed his inability to perform duties in 'these circumstances.'

When contacted, MPA Bilal Warraich told this correspondent that the allegations levelled by the EDO were baseless. Mr Warraich said in fact he had visited his office to protest over the violation of ban on transfers imposed by the chief minister.

The MPA alleged that the EDO had transferred five employees in violation of ban after receiving bribe. He said the EDO was being used against him by his political opponents.

incomplete: Punjab Prisons Minister Saeed Akbar Niwani has directed the buildings department to ensure the completion of the district jail by Jan 15, 2005 on which the work had been started four years ago.

During a surprise visit here on Friday to the jail, the department officials apprised the minister that a sum of Rs160 million had been spent on its construction.

District Nazim Chaudhry Muhammad Ashfaq told the minister that millions of rupees were being spent every month on bringing prisoners to local courts as they had been detained at Jhang district jail due to delay in the completion of the local jail building.