KOHAT: A lot of muscle stretching is going on between the PML-N-led federal government and PTI-led Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government over the removal of deputy commissioner, Kohat, Zahir Shah Mohmand from the province for not making ‘safe and secure’ arrangements for the prime minister’s public meeting held here on Oct 28.

Initially, the federal government had ordered repatriation of the officer and asked the federal secretary establishment division to hold an inquiry against him over rowdyism by PTI worker during Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s public meeting.

However, according to officials the provincial chief secretary had ordered an inquiry against Zahir Shah, to be conducted by the home secretary, and verbally conveyed to him (home secretary) to continue in his place till completion of the inquiry.

Action apparently taken over failure to avert PTI protests during PM’s visit

It may be recalled that the PM’s visit to Kohat was marred by protests by the PTI leaders and workers near the Fortress Ground where Mr Sharif addressed the public meeting.

Some of the women workers of PTI had even managed to enter the ground and started chanting ‘Go Nawaz Go’ slogans, disturbing the prime minister’s speech.

Officials in the KP establishment department told Dawn that the establishment division on Thursday asked the KP government to repatriate Mr Shah’s services. A senior official said that so far KP had not relieved the officer.

Mr Shah is said to be the senior-most deputy commissioner in the province. Officials believe that he was a victim of acrimony between the federal government and provincial government.

A senior official requesting anonymity said that the premier was not happy with the PTI protest against him.

He said that the district administration had tried its best not to allow any protest, but the protesters managed to get close to the venue.

He said that the establishment division was mistaken in penalising the official, as according to the KP Police Ordinance 2016 the police were controlled by the district police officer and not the DC.

Confirming the action, MPA Ziaullah Khan Bangash told this scribe on Friday that Chief Minister Pervez Khattak was infuriated by the decision and he had written to the establishment division, Peshawar, that the government could not relieve him (Zahir Shah) from his charge because the province was already facing shortage of officers for the posts of DCs.

“I have talked to the deputy commissioner who said he was innocent and the punishment is not justified,” Mr Bangash said.

Answering a question, he said that according to rules if the provincial government refused to relieve an officer he could not be removed from the post.

He vowed that the provincial government would protect the deputy commissioner at any cost. He added that the officer had been retained on his post and asked not to report to the establishment division, Islamabad.

Published in Dawn, November 5th, 2016