Directs secretary Establishment Division to probe the matter
PESHAWAR: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has taken notice of the corruption allegations against the political agent of North Waziristan Agency (NWA) and directed the secretary Establishment Division to probe the matter.
Taking action on an application of the staff members of the political administration, the prime minster through a letter (the copy of which is available with The News) directed the secretary Establishment Division to probe the charges of corruption, embezzlement and misuse of power by the political agent.
The prime minister’s office also directed the secretary Establishment Division to initiate action into the matter and submit a report in this regard as the staffers of the political administration have levelled charges of “very serious nature” against the political agent.
The joint secretary of the Prime Minister’s Secretariat informed the secretary Establishment Division through a letter on October 26 that the application of the political administration’s staffers contained the charges of very serious nature and the prime minister had considered holding a probe into the allegations.
It may be mentioned that seven agency staffers, including Mir Abbas Khan, senior clerk at the political agent’s office, Hakim Khan, senior clerk, Muhammad Noor Khan, Inayatullah, Niamatullah, Suleman Saleem Khan and Sajjad Alam, all junior clerks in political agent’s office, had written complaint against the alleged corruption by the political agent of North Waziristan and also addressed its copy to prime minister and secretary Establishment Division among other high-ranking officers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Islamabad on October 18.
The complaint pointed out that the political agent had resorted to large-scale corruption for which documentary proof was provided to the quarters concerned, but no action was taken.
It said that in the backdrop of the National Action Plan (NAP), the government through Fata Secretariat directed all political agents of the tribal agencies that no fee shall be charged for the registration of the non-custom paid vehicles.
However, the political agent of North Waziristan notified fee for the registration of the non-custom paid vehicles.
The complainants alleged that a portion of the amount received from the non-custom paid vehicles’ owners was deposited in the bank while the remaining was received in cash for the political agent by officials who were allowed 10 percent deduction from the amount they received.
The complaint said the matter was brought into the notice of Fata Secretariat high-ups to probe it, but instead of initiating an inquiry into the matter they asked the political agent to deposit Rs25 million.
Referring to an earlier complaint by former assistant political agent, Fahad Ikram Qazi, the complainants claimed a large number of non-custom paid vehicles owned by Afghan refugees were registered in North Waziristan.
The complaint also highlighted the appointment of various officials “illegally appointed by the political agent” and termed it misuse of authority.
The complainants said the political agent generated billions of rupees as revenue on account of Agency Development Fund and embezzled the money.
They alleged the political agent issued a huge number of “blank permits” claiming it amounted to misconduct and misuse of power.
They blamed the political agent for charging excessive fees in lieu of permits and “rahdari” despite the clear-cut directives of the governor who had forbidden any type of charges on transportation of goods in Fata.
One of the complainants, Suleman Saleem Khan, confirmed to The News they also receivedon Friday the copy of the prime minister’s directives to the secretary Establishment Division to prober the matter.