GUJRAT: The hope of Gujrat division becoming functional within the current fiscal year (2025-26) has diminished as the Punjab government has not allocated any funds for the purpose.

Well-placed sources in the provincial government confirmed to Dawn that there had been no allocation for the establishment of a divisional complex as well as the recruitment of staff and other procedural expenditures for the administration of a divisional headquarter in Gujrat.

At the local level it was a general anticipation that the government might allocate funds as Gujrat was mentioned as the 10th administrative division of Gujrat in a December 24 BoR notification.

Moreover, the district status for Wazirabad as well as tehsil status for Kunjah and Jalalpur Jattan (Gujrat) and Alipur Chattha (Wazirabad district) was also mentioned in the notification.

The government did not allocate funds for these new tehsils and Wazirabad district but in official documents Gujrat is still a division and same is the case with Wazirabad and aforementioned tehsils.

Gujrat had been upgraded as 10th administrative division of Punjab by the then Punjab chief minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi in August 2022 and the districts of Mandi Bahauddin and Hafizabad were made part of Gujrat division after bifurcation of Gujranwala division.

Later on the Wazirabad tehsil of Gujranwala was also upgraded as district by the Elahi government and was made part of Gujrat division.

However, after dissolution of Punjab Assembly in Janurary 2023, the caretaker Punjab government led by Mohsin Naqvi de-notified Gujrat as a division and Wazirabad as district.

The Lahore High Court later restored the divisional and district status for Gujrat and Wazirabad, respectively, within a month of the de-notification.

The Parvez Elahi’s government had also appointed the first Commissioner and Regional Police Officer of Gujrat division as well as the deputy commissioner and district police officer of Wazirabad. However all these officers had been transferred by the caretaker government.

Since then the additional charge of Gujrat division is held by Gujranwala Commissioner and RPO whereas the additional charge of Wazirabad DC and DPO are being held by the Gujranwala DC and CPO as per the orders of the successive Punjab governments.

Talking to Dawn, Gujranwala Commissioner Naveed Haider Sheerazi confirmed that no money had been set aside for Gujrat division.

Published in Dawn, July 5th, 2025