LAHORE: The Punjab government seems to be getting panicky due to ever-increasing incidents of people using Chief Minister Usman Buzdar’s name to get their work done by the government officials.

It has written the third letter to the bureaucracy serving across the province to refuse any such request and report to the higher authorities as well as the chief minister’s office.

The civil and police bureaucracy has been complaining about such requests soon after Usman Buzdar took oath as the chief minister. Most of these complaints are coming from the chief minister’s home district – D.G. Khan in particular and other places in general, claim sources.

Lately, the Implementation and Coordination (I&C) secretary has written a letter to the civil and police bureaucracy asking to report all those persons who are trying to pose themselves as chief minister’s relatives.

The letter reads: “Some instances have been reported whereby some unknown persons have represented themselves as brothers and relatives of the Punjab chief minister to get their matters resolved.” The government has directed that all civil and police bureaucracy in the province should not entertain request(s) of any such person(s) and the matter be brought to the notice of their respective higher authorities as well as the CM office.

Earlier, a Punjab cabinet official had twice written letters to the government officials across the province asking them to stay careful about “fake calls and orders” under the chief minister’s name without approval.

One such letter was written soon after an instruction by the Services Hospital additional medical superintendent (on his letterhead) started making rounds on social media that the chief minister’s sister was admitted to the hospital and the medical unit should visit her in the VVIP-I on a priority.

The government was also receiving complaints that people had been using the CM’s name to get favours and jobs done at different hospitals, educational institutions and other government offices by impersonating the chief minister.

The letter, issued in September last year, stated: “The name of the chief minister is being misused in different offices of Punjab by fake telephone calls”. It directed that all officials should verify and confirm the authenticity of telephonic directions from the chief minister’s offices before compliance of any sort.

Sources say the third letter on the subject of posing as chief minister’s relatives following fake calls issued by the I&C secretary showed some seriousness.

When contacted to know about the volume of occurrence of such “impersonation” incidents, I&C Secretary Masood Mukhtar said he could not respond to any query while at home in the evening.

There was a buzz that people were approaching government offices and presenting their selfies with the chief minister to influence officials and get their work done.

However, sources close to the developments told Dawn that the bureaucracy was facing a serious crisis in D.G. Khan where chief minister’s relatives, close aides and ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf leaders were allegedly approaching government officials to get their work done.

Published in Dawn, January 7th, 2019