MUZAFFARABAD: Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) police on Wednesday registered a case against Senior Minister Chaudhry Mohammad Yasin allegedly for manhandling a senior government official.

The incident occurred in the presence of Prime Minister Chaudhry Abdul Majeed in the retiring room of his office, shortly before the commencement of cabinet meeting. The victim was none other than prime minister’s principal secretary Fayyaz Ali Abbasi.

Minister for Higher Education Matloob Inqilabi and Chief Secretary Abid Ali Khan were also present on the occasion.

According to sources, Mr Yasin was arguing with the chief secretary on the issue of promotion in BPS-22 of one of his favourite officers, who is due to retire at the weekend, as well as two other postings, assuming that Mr Abbasi was responsible for his concerns.

The chief secretary went on to make an offer that if the government was unhappy with him, it could report it to the Establishment Division, the sources added.

However, Mr Yasin repeatedly said he (chief secretary) was being misguided by somebody, apparently referring to Mr Abbasi.

According to Mr Abbasi, when he tried to clarify that he had nothing to do with what was being alleged, Mr Yasin lost his cool and instantly grabbed him from the neck and hurled him on the sofa.

“The senior minister also abused and threatened to kill me,” added Mr Abbasi in his complaint to the police.

Later SP Security Rashid Naeem Khan rushed inside and separated Mr Yasin and Mr Abbasi and brought the latter outside.

The senior minister remained in the retiring room and, shortly afterwards, left with the prime minister and chief secretary to attend the cabinet meeting.

In the meantime, Mr Abbasi wrote his complaint against the senior minister and handed it over to SSP Muzaffarabad Irfan Masood Kashfi who along with Deputy Commissioner Masoodur Rehman had also reached there.

A source in the Civil Secretariat Police Station confirmed to Dawn that a case had been registered against Mr Yasin under sections 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) of the Penal Code.

Following the incident, a large number of government servants, including the office-bearers of the Gazetted Officers Association and All Secretariat Employees Association, gathered outside the PM Office.

Representatives of the protesting employees were later invited by Premier Majeed for talks, but they made it clear to him that they would not accept anything less than the requisite legal action against Mr Yasin, apart from his dismissal from the cabinet.

President Gazetted Officers Association Sardar Javaid Ayub told Dawn that the employees would boycott official work on Thursday and instead hold a demonstration to press for their two-point demand.

“We cannot tolerate insult and intimidation of government servants just because they want to run the system according to the rules and regulations,” he said.

It may be recalled that Mr Yasin had also dragged himself into controversy in May last year after altercating with Finance Minister Chaudhry Latif Akbar over seating arrangements in an official meeting.

When Dawn contacted the senior minister, he hurled a volley of accusations against the principal secretary, and denied outright that he had manhandled him.

“There is a parliamentary form of government. This man (principal secretary) has held the prime minister and the PM Office hostage ever since his posting there. He misleads the prime minister, accepts sweeteners for postings and transfers and creates hurdles in resolution of public issues,” he alleged. “I had a brief altercation with him on this issue. There is nothing else.”

When told that Mr Abbasi had accused him of abusing and threatening to kill him, apart from physical assault, he replied: “I did not go to such an extent.”

“It was a brief war of words. He misbehaved and the prime minister is witness to it.” He also claimed that FIR had not been registered against him.

Published in Dawn, January 8th, 2015

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