BAHAWALNAGAR: The All Pakistan Anjuman Tajran (APAT) local chapter has been lodging protest against the District Officer (DO) Industries, Prices, Weight and Measures (IPWM) for the last seven days by erecting banners at different corners of the city.

It accuses the DO of lodging ‘fake’ cases by violating the Weight and Measures Act of 1975 and 1976 against those shopkeepers who refuse to pay her bribe. It insists the act has no such provision of registering FIRs against shopkeepers.

“If any shopkeeper refuses verification, the DO can only submit a challan against him under section 16 of the act 1975 but the official has no power to register a case.”

Muhammad Tufail, engaged with the IPWM to check weights and measures, told Dawn that the DO was not only targeting shopkeepers but she had also lodged a case against his son Wahid Ali, who was also a licence holder, in a fake case when he raised voice against corruption.

He said Wahid Ali had filed complaints against the DO at different forums, including the ACE and the Bahawalnagar DC, in the months of June and August.

Sharing some screenshots of his WhatsApp chat with the DO, another licence holder told Dawn that the official had informed him that she would lodge a case against Tufail’s son if he did not withdraw his complaints against her.

APAT’s Bahawalnagar chapter President Sheikh Fazal Elahi told Dawn that the DO had been collecting millions from petrol station owners, illegal petrol agency holders, shopkeepers, industry owners and others by using different tactics.

He claimed quarter of the money collected by the DO had not been deposited with the treasury.

He said he was ready to show evidence of the DO’s corruption but the authorities were keeping mum over the complaints filed by the ATAP.

DO Shafaq Naaz neither attended calls nor replied to text messages for 48 hours. IPWM Director Admin Javed Iqbal Quraishi also preferred to remain silent.

IPWM DG retired Capt Sohail Ashraf told Dawn he had taken notice of the matter and ordered an inquiry into the matter.

Published in Dawn, October 2nd, 2022