PESHAWAR: In an interesting development, a member of the provincial government committee tasked with suggesting reforms in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ehtesab Commission Act, Sajid Jadoon, was arrested by the Ehtesab Commission on Wednesday on charges of misuse of authority and corruption.

Jadoon, who is the industries secretary and president of the Provincial Civil Services Officers Association, was the secretary of the excise and taxation department when alleged irregularities, misappropriation of funds and misuse of powers had taken place.

The commission has alleged that the suspect was involved in misappropriation of government money and illegalities in purchase of weapons, wireless sets, bulletproof jackets and vehicle conversion and other procurements which had resulted in the loss to the exchequer to the tune of millions of rupees.

The commission also alleged that he was involved in illegal retention of vehicles confiscated by the excise and taxation department against the prescribed rules and allotments of these vehicles to the people of his choice thus misusing his authority with mala fide intentions.

PCS Officers Association insists arrest premature, without due procedure

The suspect is a member of a high-level committee recently constituted by the provincial cabinet for recommending suitable amendments in the KPEC Act 2014.

Provincial senior minister Inayatullah Khan is the chairman of the said committee.

He has also been leading a campaign launched by the PCS Officers Association for their rights, including their promotions, and field postings and in the wake of that campaign the issue was referred to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly’s committee on law reforms.

The suspect will be produced before an Ehtesab court today (Thursday) by the commission for getting his physical custody.

He was arrested under Section 23 of the KPEC Act 2014.

Earlier, in the same case, the commission had on Aug 12 arrested two other officers including in charge of the warehouse of excise department Mohammad Khalid and addition excise and taxation officer Ijlal Qayyum Baber.

The said two officers were initially remanded in the custody of the commission for 13 days, which ended on Wednesday.

They were produced before an Ehtesab court, which further remanded them in the custody of the commission for eight days.

Judge Subhan Sher directed their production in the court on Sept 3.

The commission’s additional deputy prosecutor general, Barrister Qazi Babar Irshad, contended that investigation had still been in progress in the case for which the commission needed further custody of the two suspects. He pointed out that they had made several disclosures during their physical remand and their further custody was vital for investigation.

Irshad said several of the persons who were handed over vehicles by the suspects had voluntarily returned it after the arrests of the suspects.

Meanwhile, the PCS Officers Association has shown displeasure at the arrest of its president, Sajjid Jadoon, and termed it victimisation of the PCS officers.

In a news release issued here, it said the arrest was based on mala fide intent as being a member of the cabinet committee, Jadoon had proposed vital changes to the KPEC Act 2014.

It said only PCS officers were targeted and harassed and thus, causing resentment and uncertainty prevailed among the officers.

“The arrest of Sajid Jadoon was premature and without fulfilling due procedure and proper investigation,” it said.

The association said the officers, who cooperated with the commission, had also been arrested and that the arrests were illegal, harmed the relevant officers’ reputation, adversely affected the administration and went against the spirit of the Ehtesab Commission’s formation.

Published in Dawn, August 27th, 2015

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