Punjab bureaucracy terms Chattha’s allegations his personal opinion

Ehsan Bhutta said the Election Commission of Pakistan had already said that the commissioner had no role in this regard

By Asif Mehmood Butt

February 18, 2024

In this illustration, Rawalpindi Commissioner Liaquat Ali Chatha speaks to journalists in Rawalpindi, on February 17, 2024, in this still taken from a video.

LAHORE: All groups of the bureaucracy posted in Punjab have termed the statement of alleged election rigging by Rawalpindi commissioner Liaquat Chattha his personal opinion.

Top officials of the Pakistan Administrative Service (formerly DMG Group) and Provincial Civil Service (PMS) have decided to remain silent on the allegations until an investigation is held. Naveed Shahzad Mirza, former president of the Provincial Civil Service Officers Association, Punjab, said the question arises that Liaquat Chattha could have levelled the allegations earlier and why did he do it now? He said that if the commissioner had made these allegations earlier, maybe no one would have known. “He is retiring in March, so why did he do it now?” Mirza said that the issue of form 45 was before everybody.

Ali Akbar Bhindar, the current president of Punjab Provincial Civil Service, said that Liaquat Chattha belonged to the Provincial Civil Service but despite this he does not want to take any stand for or against his statement on the elections because it was his personal matter.

Bhindar added that chief minister of Punjab had formed a high-level committee to investigate the issue. He said after the investigation, he would decide whether to take a stand or not.

According to the president of Pakistan Administrative Service Officers Association Punjab, Ehsan Bhutta, Liaquat Chattha was retiring on March 8 and his statement on the alleged rigging in the election was his personal opinion. Ehsan Bhutta said the Election Commission of Pakistan had already said that the commissioner had no role in this regard. “The commissioner has spoken about the alleged rigging in the election which has no legal justification,” he maintained.

He said earlier the matter of alleged pressure by the Dera Ghazi Khan commissioner on Layyah DC Khalid Pervez on alleged “favour” to some candidates in the election also came to light, which was later denied by the DC. He said the commissioner had no legal role in the election.