A Deputy Commissioner (DC) from Chakwal wrote a letter on Monday claiming that Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) MNA Sardar Zulfiqar Ali Khan tried to influence the transfers and postings of 17 individuals in the said area.

According to the letter, addressed to the Chief Election Commissioner, the Supreme Court registrar and the Punjab chief secretary, the PTI lawmaker from NA-64 constituency sent Chakwal DC Ghulam Saghir Shahid a list of 17 members of the revenue field staff that he wanted to be posted or transferred.

DC Shahid said that MNA Khan then visited his office and insisted that the people on the said list be transferred and posted as suggested by him.

According to Shahid, the Assistant Commissioner of Choa Saidan Shah "being the competent authority [to do so]" had sent his office a letter asking for the transfers of five patwaris from Kallar Kahar and Chakwal to Choa Saidan Shah.

Shahid also claimed that the MNA called him on September 3 and asked to cancel the transfer order of a patwari being posted to Choa Sadain Shah from Kallar Kahar, "as the transfer was not recommended by him".

According to the Chakwal DC, he refused to entertain the MNA's request and said that as per policy the postings of all revenue field staff would be decided by the district collector or Assistant Commissioner in the region.

The PTI lawmaker then resorted to hurling threats, DC Shahid claimed in the letter and requested the addressed authorities to take necessary action against the MNA "for his repeated political interference in the official matters."

Besides, DawnNewsTV has learnt that the mobile phone number mentioned in Shahid's letter indeed belongs to Khan.

Subsequently, MNA Khan has admitted to asking that the patwari should not be transferred "as people were satisfied by his performance". However, Sardar Zulfiqar Ali Khan denied the allegation of sending Shahid a letter with the list of people he wanted to be transferred or posted.

A similar allegation was also made by a Rajanpur DC against PTI MNA Sardar Nasarullah Khan Drishak and his sons MPA Sardar Hasnain Bahadar and former MPA Sardar Ali Raza Drishak for trying to influence the transfers and postings of various Revenue Department members and officials of the Border Military Police (BMP).

According to a letter addressed by DC Rajanpur Allah Ditta Waraich to the Dera Ghazi Khan Commissioner, MNA Drishak visited his office and "categorically asked me to not order any transfer/posting in his constituency without his consent."

"He further stated that he had been in the opposition group for the last 10 years. Now he has won the election and will ensure good posting for all his favourite BMP officials and revenue patwaris," DC Waraich added.

The DC also mentioned in his letter that Drishak behaved rudely when visiting his office and did not shake hands with him. Waraich also mentioned that he had already verbally explained the situation to the DG Khan commissioner.

DC Waraich added that he wished that "the matter be referred to the competent authority to initiate proceedings against the MNA".