FAISALABAD, Feb 22: The tussle between the Jinnah Town nazim and its town municipal officer took a serious turn on Wednesday when the latter took over the charge through police force and grabbed the room of naib nazim by breaking open the lock.

Political circles termed this clash between the town official and the elected representatives as a stigma on the face of the local council system.

The Jinnah Town nazim seat was captured by Muhammad Shahzad Malik, younger brother of PML-N MPA Muhammad Nawaz Malik, in the local elections of 2005. The government agencies tried their best to force Nawaz Malik to change his loyalties along with his brother and even resorted to negative tactics.

Sources said the Punjab Local Government Department appointed Muhammad Khalid Raju as the town municipal officer by giving him undue favour, as he was not capable of running the affairs. Raju was a former magistrate and appointed to disturb the Malik brothers.

Nazim Shahzad Malik, after a long legal and official efforts, succeeded in getting the TMO transferred and got deputed Qazi Rafique as TMO. However, Khalid Raju was again appointed by the Punjab Local Government and Rural Development Department but the nazim refused to entertain him.

Sources said Raja Adnan Tariq, who was defeated in the nazim elections by Shahzad Malik, was backing Khalid Raju and trying his best to create hurdles in the town affairs.

On Wednesday, Khalid Raju, together with some administrative officials and the ruling party members besides a heavy police contingent, headed by Civil Lines SHO Muhammad Abbas, dashed into the Jinnah Town complex and harassed the staff on duty. The police and the TMO-designate broke open the locks of Naib Nazim Zulfiqar Sheikh’s offices.

At this, scores of members of the Jinnah Town protested in front of its complex and filed an application for registration of case against Khalid Raju, the Civil Lines SHO and other police officials for breaking the locks of government office and creating law and order situation.

Naib Nazim Zulfiqar Sheikh, along with some members, also visited the police station and lodged another complaint against the SHO.

The situation was tense in the town complex as the officials claimed that they were beaten up by the police. The sorry state of affairs can be judged from the fact that no official task has been completed during the current month while the town administration also has failed to pay salaries to its employees for January.

Zulfiqar Sheikh and several town members demanded that the police should register a case against Mr Raju and the officials involved in the incident.

They said formal complaints against the police officials had been forwarded to the chief minister and IGP for prompt action.