LAHORE: The Punjab government seems to feel the pressure the Jahangir Tareen’s group of parliamentarians had built during the past few weeks as it (government) has begun facilitating the MPAs in terms of posting of officers at the tehsil level in their constituencies.

A senior provincial minister who remained close to developments with the Tareen group, said it was agreed at a meeting with the chief minister when the group members met him at his office last week.

Recently, the Punjab government posted Asad Ali Budh assistant commissioner, Dunyapur tehsil, but it had to transfer the officer and posted Aitzaz Anjum as “orders came from top level”.

Sources say Mr Budh was transferred and Mr Anjum posted on the recommendation of Tareen group’s member MPA Zawar Hussain Warraich.

Earlier, Lodhran DPO Karrar Hussain Syed was transferred and a junior officer, Abdul Rauf Babar, posted DPO.

Sources say the Punjab government is inclined to replace ACs, DSPs and SHOs, if proposals will be floated by the Tareen group through the chief minister’s secretariat.

The Tareen group members, however, are in a denial mode and say they are not recommending officers of their choice for postings in their respective constituencies. A senior group member said AC Asad Ali Budh himself was not happy with his posting at Dunyapur tehsil.

“MPAs are not much into postings and transfers of officers in their respective constituencies but want development works in their areas so that the PTI’s vote bank should stay intact,” the MPA said.

A senior civil service officer said the transfers and postings was a tricky subject as sometimes officers also do no not want to join positions at certain tehsils and districts owing to their own priorities. Acknowledging that the chief minister after meeting the Tareen group members had deputed one deputy secretary to coordinate with the group members, the officer said the CM secretariat actually improved its coordination with the Tareen group members so that they should not face difficulties in the resolution of their respective issues.

The officer said the chief minister’s secretariat was already having different deputy secretaries to coordinate with certain divisions or districts.

MNA Raja Riaz, a vocal member of the Tareen group, also acknowledged that the chief minister had deputed a deputy secretary to coordinate with MPAs.

Since Mr Riaz has himself announced that Barrister Ali Zafar has submitted his report to the prime minister and cleared Jahangir Tareen, a group member expressed his surprise why Mr Riaz announced the report when it was not officially announced.

However, another MPA said the Tareen group’s Tuesday meeting was actually a “celebration” of Barrister Zafar’s report that cleared Mr Tareen.

Raja Riaz said the group would continue apprising the government of all kinds of wrongdoings. He also demanded that the conspirators should now resign after Barrister Zafar’s report cleared Jahangir Tareen of charges levelled against him.

Published in Dawn, May 27th, 2021