PESHAWAR, April 25: Commissioner of Afghan Refugees, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ziaur Rehman has encamped himself in Dera Ismail Khan to facilitate the election campaign of his elder brothers, including Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, it is learned.

Sources told Dawn on Thursday that Ziaur Rehman, an officer of BPS-18, who is currently working against a BPS-20 post as the head of the Afghan Commissionerate in Peshawar, has been on an undeclared leave for the last few days in connection with the election campaign of his two brothers, Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Maulana Lutfur Rehman.

When contacted, the commissioner’s private secretary said his boss was in Dera Ismail Khan.

Officials in his office insisted that Ziaur Rehman was in Islamabad without leave but they didn’t say how long he had been away.

“Ziaur Rehman is in Dera Ismail Khan and will remain here until May 11,” said his private secretary, Yousaf Jan, spontaneously when asked about whereabouts of his boss. He, however, said Ziaur Rehman had been shuttling between Dera Ismail Khan and Peshawar.

When approached by telephone, Ziaur Rehman told Dawn from Dera Ismail Khan that he had been in his hometown to look into complaints regarding Afghan refugees, who had allegedly obtained computerised national identity cards and registered their names in voter lists. However, local newspapers in Dera Ismail Khan had published pictures of Ziaur Rehman addressing public meetings in connection with his brothers’ election campaigns in Pharai Pur tehsil. However, the commissioner for Afghan refugees said National Database Registration Authority had received complaints that Afghan nationals had made identity cards. “I am here for verification of fake ID cards and bogus votes. For this purpose, I’ve visited various refugee villages in Dera (Ismail Khan) and Tank,” he said. Ziaur Rehman claimed that the reports that he was running election campaign of his elder brothers were baseless and that some elements had lodged complaints with the local district returning officer about misuse of official vehicles by him. “I appeared before DRO today (Thursday) and defended myself against the charge. As a result, the complaints were dismissed,” he said. An insider claimed that Ziaur Rehman had engaged at least four official vehicles for his brothers’ election campaigns. “Commissioner has been out of office for the last one week and has moved to Dera Ismail Khan along with four official vehicles,” said an official in the commissionerate. Ziaur Rehman, an employee of Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited, was inducted in the commissionerate as project director in the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal government. Later, the Awami National Party-led coalition government in the province inducted him in the Provincial Management Services. Dera Ismail Khan and Tanks are the home constituencies of Maulana Fazlur Rehman and his brothers. Maulana Fazlur Rehman is contesting elections on three National Assembly’s seats i.e. NA-24, Dera Ismail Khan, NA-25, Dera Ismail Khan-cum-Tank and NA-27, Lakki Marwat, while his younger brother, Maulana Lutfur Rehman, is in the running for two seats of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly i.e. PK-64 and PK-66, Dera Ismail Khan. Representation of the People’s Act prohibits the government officers and employees from misusing official position to influence election results. Section 92 of the Act says: “a person in the service of Pakistan is guilty of an offence punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two year, or with fine which may extend to two thousand rupees, or with both, if he misuses his official position in a manner calculated to influence the results of the elections.” It merits mentioning here that DRO, Peshawar Shehbar Khan had summoned Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Speaker Kiramatullah Khan Chagharmatti on Saturday last and directed him to submit written reply to the charge against him of misuse of official authority for his election campaign.