MUZAFFARABAD: Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minister Chaudhry Abdul Majeed sought explanation on Sat­urday from the secretary of the Services and General Administration Department (S&GAD) over termination of the heads of development authorities “without his approval”.

On Friday, the S&GAD had issued a notification whereby politically appointed chairmen of development authorities of Muzaf­farabad, Mirpur, Bagh, Rawalakot and Kotli as well as the Neelum Development Board and Mangla Dam Housing Authority were relieved of their posts with immediate effect under the directives of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Justice Ghulam Mustafa Mughal.

In an explanation letter addressed to Secretary Syed Shahid Mohyiddin Qadri, the prime minister wrote that the notification had been issued without the approval of the lawful authority of chief executive in a “serious breach of trust as well as violation of rules/regulations enforced in this regard”.

Official sources told Dawn that while the heads of local bodies were fired immediately after the announcement of the election schedule on Monday, the heads of development authorities were holding their offices and some of them had allegedly initiated allotment process.

Published in Dawn, June 12th, 2016