GUJRAT: The drop scene of an unpleasant incident of detention and handcuffing of the assistant commissioner on the orders of a civil judge in Sahiwal tehsil (Sargodha) took place as both the officials were transferred on Saturday.

In separate notifications issued by the Lahore High Court chief justice and the Punjab chief secretary, respectively, civil judge Muhammad Naeem was transferred to Piplan tehsil of Mianwali against a vacant post whereas Sahiwal AC Muhammad Haider was transferred and posted as AC Samundari (Faisalabad) with immediate effect.

Faisal Sultan, serving as AC Samundari, was transferred and posted as AC Sahiwal (Sargodha).

Development may ease tensions

On Dec 12, civil judge Muhammad Naeem had ordered the detention of AC Haider in connection with an application of a local lawyer for the removal of encroachments in front of the local vegetable market as the court had earlier ordered the AC [to launch a clean-up operation] in his capacity as administrator of Sahiwal Municipal Committee.

However, the AC was set free when he tendered a written apology on the insistence of representatives of the local bar association to resolve the matter.

Later on Monday the last, the entire administrative officials and land revenue staff had observed a pen-down strike across Punjab to register their protest against the detention and handcuffing of Sahiwal AC by the judge.

The chief secretary had apprised the chief justice of the feelings of the administrative staff upon which the Sargodha district and sessions judge and deputy commissioner Abdullah Nayyer Sheikh visited Sahiwal on Tuesday the last and jointly heard both the officials involved in the controversy. Both the heads of district judiciary and the administration had submitted their separate reports to their provincial chiefs.

Published in Dawn, December 20th, 2020