KP govt’s rejoinder on secretary mines, minerals

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has issued a rejoinder to a story printed in The News about the Provincial Secretary Mines and Minerals. The KP Director Information in response to the story issued the following statement:
The write-up quotes a letter submitted by Mian Waheedud Din a BS-20 officer, just transferred from the post of Secretary Mines & Minerals Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, addressed to Establishment Division - creating therein an impression of a massive scandal. There is no such issue as will be evident from the following facts.
1. The Ehtesaab Commission has been formed under the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ehtesab Act 2014 that ensures administrative, financial and legal independence of the Commission. The selection of Chairman & Members has been made through an independent Search & Scrutiny Committee comprising of Abbas Khan, Ejaz Qureshi, Sher Mohammad and other eminent personalities and approved by the Provincial Assembly Legislative Committee. The Ehtesab Commission is an independent body and any interference by the Chief Minister or any other office is not possible.
2. With regard to allegation of no action taken on FIRs against illegal mining, please be informed that 631 FIRs were registered all over the province of which 105 cases were registered in Nowshera in the last 2 years and 166 accused have been arrested. The rest 64 have been declared absconders and action is underway under section 512 of Cr.PC. Furthermore, the DC Nowshera had also imposed Section 144 against illegal mining but on judicial review the court of the District & Sessions judge Nowshera has granted status quo against the order. These facts in themselves prove that the chief minister has in no way interfered in this process.
3. The reference to allegations of chief minister’s intervention on behalf of M/S Tony Pak is utterly ironic & scandalous as it is exactly opposite to the true situation. The chief minister appointed a 2-member inquiry committee in the issue and its recommendations were approved in toto. These recommendations included disciplinary action against officers, and cancellation of the lease of the company plus recovery of Rs20 million. Accordingly disciplinary action under the Efficiency & Discipline Rules has been taken, lease has been cancelled and recovery is under process.
4. The letter of accommodating Sher Ayaz Khan is a routine letter issued by CM Secretariat under the signature of a Section Officer to be considered “as per rules/policy”. It is very clear that action, if any, was to be taken as per rules. On reference to his dismissal it is clarified that proceedings were on way for removing him from service but he went before the Peshawar High Court in the case and has now been granted status quo - suspending final action against him. As such blaming the chief minister for any wrongdoing in this is absurd, to say the least.
5. On relieving of the officer to federal government it is stated that Mian Waheedud Din is an officer of BS-20 of the Pakistan Administrative Service. He was posted to the province under the rotation policy of the federal government for a period of 3 years, in July 2013. He was straightaway posted as Secretary Mines & Minerals. His plea for repatriation to federal government could not be considered due to non-completion of tenure as per policy as well as the fact that 13 posts of PAS quota in BS-20 are vacant in the province.
6. The impression that under-reporting of raw material by cement factories has somehow got something to do with the chief minister is misleading as the inquiry report on this account has been submitted to the Department on 25th June as an internal arrangement.
7. The provincial government finds it unethical and against accepted norms of decorum / rules when the former Secretary Mines & Minerals levels serious, unfounded, allegations after an independent organisation, the Ehtesab Commission issues his warrants of arrest for corruption and corrupt practices under Section 23 of the KP Ehtesab Commission Act 2014. Perhaps the former Secretary Mian Waheedud Din needs to explain as to why he has broken his silence after 2 years and has started hurling unsubstantiated allegations against the chief minister to bring in disrepute the efforts of transparency of the provincial government.
8. The provincial government welcomes all those interested in looking at the record of the Mines & Minerals Department and any other office to substantiate the contents and truth and veracity of the foregoing paras.
9. The provincial government has also requested the federal government to provide a copy of the letter, if at all written by Mian Waheedud Din, to the Secretary Establishment Division.