NAUSHAHRO FEROZE, May 22: A former Naib Qasid of the education department tried to commit self-immolation outside the press club here on Tuesday during a token hunger strike to seek his reinstatement.

Wazir Ali Rajpar of the village of Talib Rajpar sprinklied kerosene on his body, but police saved him before he could burn himself.

Wazir has been observing the hunger strike since July 2011, demanding his reinstatement as Naib Qasid. He told reporters that he had been appointed in 1996 and was working in the office of DEO.

He said on Feb24, 2006, the department’s clerk Mazhar Umrani took him to National Bank of Pakistan’s Naushahro Feroze branch, saying that his salary would now be deposited in his bank account. Therefore, he opened a bank account.

He said that on July 1, 2006, Umrani took the cheque book and service card from him, saying that he was a temporary employee and his service had been terminated.

Wazir said he had complained to then district education officer Fehmida Pathan who had assured him to solve his problem but he was not reinstated.

He said he had received a legal notice from the NBP’s branch on June 11, 2011, asking him to repay loan he had taken against his salary amounting to Rs28,078.

He said he had not obtained any loan, and added that he had contacted the bank branch manager to get facts and later complained to the NBP authorities.

The manager of the NBP’s Mehrabpur branch was appointed as inquiry officer.

In the meantime, he said, loan amount had been adjusted by clerk Mazhar Umrani.

When the bank provided him copies of the bank statement of his account, he came to know that Rs81,900 was obtained as salary loan in his name on Feb 24, 2006.

He provided copies of documents, including bank’s legal notice and bank account’s statement, which showed that the education department was releasing Rs1,861 as monthly instalment of loan but other salary particulars were not available.

He said that later he had filed an appeal in the department, contending that because he had been shown an employee of the education department after October 2006, therefore, he should be reinstated but in vain.

He said he had submitted an application to the provincial minister of anti-corruption Sindh, requesting him to hold an inquiry into matter.

He said Mazhar Umrani had submitted an application to the director of human rights and district and sessions judge of Naushahro Feroze against him, alleging that Wazir Ali had been blackmailing him and demanding Rs80,000 and otherwise issuing threats for implicating him in an anti-corruption inquiry.

The director disposed off the application, observing that both the parties should approach the anti-corruption committee which was competent to take a decision. But the inquiry was never held.

Wazir said that he opted for self-immolation in protest because he could not feed his family because he was jobless. He appealed for reinstatement and action against officials responsible for committing injustice with him.

DEO Bashir Rajpar assured him that a three-member inquiry committee led by himself had been formed by Sindh Education Minister Pir Mazharul Haq which would conduct an inquiry.