KARAK: The provincial government has suspended the district education officer, Abdus Salam Marwat, over the allegations levelled against him by the district government.

Sources said that district nazim Dr Umer Daraz Khattak sent a letter No. SO-1/CMS/KPK/3-1/2016 to education secretary, alleging that the DEO was taking bribes from the employees of the department for their transfer and posting through assistant district officer (education) and a clerk.

The letter alleged that the DEO was also involved embezzlement of conditional grant aimed at providing missing facilities to educational institutions. It said that the DEO was also forcing the landowners to grease his palm for heir recruitment as Class-IV at schools.

The nazim said in the letter that the DEO used to shift conditional grant funds from one school to another through underhand deals and kept the cheque of contractor, who supplied furniture to education department, to seek bribe.

Sources said that district nazim sent copies the letter to chief minister, education minister and anti-corruption establishment. The chief minister directed the education department to suspend the DEO and initiate inquiry against him, they added.

OFFICES LOCKED: Abdul Wahab, the nazim of Karak tehsil, locked the offices of tehsil municipal administration and forced out the staff from the premises. According to sources, the tehsil nazim alleged that TMO Saleem Dawar was not cooperating with the elected representatives of tehsil council, therefore, he locked the offices and expel the staff. He resolved to continue the practice if the official did not mend his shoes. Sources said that the TMO was transferred from Karak to Tall.

GIRL DROWS: A six-year-old girl identified as Komal Yaseen drowned in a water tank and died in a hospital.

The family sources said that the girl was taking water from the tank when she drowned in it. The water tank is situated inside the house of the bereaved family in Saratkhel area of tehsil Karak. The girl was taken to district headquarters hospital Karak but she could not survive.

Published in Dawn, May 19th, 2016