HARIPUR: The chairmen of village and neighbourhood councils demonstrated here on Thursday against the arrest of the head of another local body and warned if the case wasn’t withdrawn, they would extend the protest to other parts of the province. The protest was staged outside the office of the deputy commissioner here.

Chairman of the Ladarmang village council Mohammad Ilyas was taken into custody after additional assistant commissioner Faraz Qureshi and officials of the food departmentseized 155 bags of subsidized flour from a house on Dheri Sikandarpur Road on Wednesday evening.

The chairman was accused of hoarding the subsidised flour, which was meant for the residents of his village council. A local magistrate sent him to the Haripur jail on three-day remand.

The chairmen of local bodies gathered outside the office of DC Aon Haider Gondal to record their protest against the arrest. Mr Gondal met three of them and promised a probe into the arrest.

The heads of local bodies later protested the DC’s “response” to their demand on the premises.

Chairman of the Malikyar village council Malik Faisal Iqbal said the local body heads had informed the DC three days ago about the poor quality of subsidised flour supplied to people but the administration, instead of acting against officials, targeted Mr Ilyas for exposing the irregularity.

He also alleged that AAC Faraz Qureshi received bribes from shopkeepers and crushplant owners.

Mr Iqbal warned that council chairmen from across the district would take to the streets again if the FIR was not withdrawn. He also demanded an official inquiry against the AAC besides his immediate transfer from Haripur.

Meanwhile, additional deputy commissioner Imran Jadoon also assured the council chairmen of an inquiry into the arrest.

Published in Dawn, March 3rd, 2023