LAHORE: The Punjab government has failed to establish its writ against a powerful retired bureaucrat as it could not get a GOR-1 residence vacated even after eviction notice following a nod by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.

The Punjab government had on April 22 issued a vacation notice to Deputy Chairman Planning Commission of Pakistan Jehanzeb Khan to vacate the 16-Golf Road residence in GOR-1 within three days. The government had already issued a legal ejectment notice, which expired prior to the issuance of vacation notice.

The GOR-1 residence was allotted to the late former Punjab chief secretary Abdullah Khan Sumbal on July 20, 2022 with a direction that the allotment order for Deputy Chairman Planning Commission of Pakistan Jehanzeb Khan stands cancelled.

Mr Sumbal had allowed Mr Khan to continue staying in the GOR-1 residence since he was residing with his parents. However, his death on Sept 6 last year created a void and his widow Dr Ainul Momina looked for the allotment of the house.

Senior officials tight-lipped over inaction against ex-bureaucrat

The Punjab government, on Nov 21 last year, had formally allowed Sumbal’s widow to retain the 16-Golf Road residence till Jan 21, 2030 – the date of superannuation of her late husband.

It may be mentioned that even the caretaker Punjab Cabinet had taken up the case in its 37th meeting on Jan 24 this year and agreed to get the residence vacated from the illegal possession of Mr Jehanzeb Khan and grant the possession to Dr Momina.

However, the Punjab government’s all efforts seemed to have fallen flat and some senior bureaucrats believed that the officers at the helm of affairs were actually creating hurdles and even did not let anyone take action, when the three-day limit of vacation notice expired too.

When contacted and asked that why the Punjab government had failed to establish its writ against a retired bureaucrat, Chief Secretary Zahid Akhtar Zaman, Additional Chief Secretary Ahmad Raza Sarwar and Additional Secretary (Welfare) retired Capt Muhammad Waseem remained tight-lipped and didn’t utter a single word on the subject.

Published in Dawn, May 7th, 2024