Bureaucracy-govt row in KP deepens with abrupt transfer of Anti-Corruption director

PESHAWAR: The top bureaucracy’s clash with the provincial government and even some officials became even more apparent on Monday with the abrupt transfer of Director Anti-Corruption Establishment, Ziaullah Toru.

Ziaullah Toru claimed he was singled out and victimised for initiating probe into the alleged corruption by certain bureaucratic, their friends and relatives.Amid reports of a clash between Director Anti-Corruption Establishment, Ziaullah Toru and Chief Secretary Amjad Ali Khan, the Establishment Department issued the transfer orders of the former and gave the additional charge of his office to the deputy commissioner of Peshawar.

The story of the tussle between the chief secretary and some political leaders and officers apparently ran parallel with the allegations and counter-allegations by Managing Director Bank of Khyber (BoK) Shamsul Qayyum and Finance Minister Muzaffar Sayyid against each other since April 14.  An interview by the minister who belongs to the Jamaat-i-Islami was followed by the publication of an advertisement by the Bank of Khyber against Muzaffar Sayyid, who them responded in kind by getting published an advertisement against the bank’s managing director.

Chief Minister Pervez Khattak appointed a ministerial committee to probe the matter. The committee handed its report to the chief minister giving a clean chit to the finance minister.To add insult to the injury and in a rebuke to the JI, the Board of Directors of the BoK in its April 22 meeting showed a profit of Rs600 million by the bank and also reportedly sanctioned Rs2.5 million to defend the managing director in the court of law.

Reportedly, the chief secretary in a meeting of secretaries supported the stance of the BoK managing director.While this row was in progress, another one erupted between the secretary Establishment and director anti-corruption.

The acrimony flared up in a meeting presided over by the chief minister and attended by the chief secretary Amjad Ali Khan, Secretary Establishment, Humaira Ahmed and director anti-corruption.

The director of the Anti-Corruption Establishment was so harsh with the secretary Establishment Humaira Ahmed that she literally wept and left the meeting.An insider confided to The News that at this stage the chief secretary also lost temper. The chief secretary and director Anti-Corruption Establishment almost came to blows.However, the insider said a lawmaker attending the meeting intervened and succeeded in calming down the two and normalizing the situation.

A source said the chief secretary wanted to send the director anti-corruption establishment packing, but a leader of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) intervened and pointed out that the decision might be embarrassing for the government as it would come not long after the resignation of director general Ehtesab Commission Lt Gen (r) Hamid Khan.

The source revealed the director Anti-Corruption Establishment had started inquiries against the top bureaucrat and even raided his house at his village Jamra on the Takht Bhai Road in Mardan to probe the reports related to the saplings his brother took during the government’s “Billion Tree Tsunami” project.

On the other hand, the chief secretary, according to the source, threatened to spill the beans if any action was taken against him or if he was transferred.The source revealed that a group of ministers and bureaucrats held parleys and mediated between the chief secretary and chief minister and also finance minister affiliated to the JI.

The source revealed that under certain terms and conditions the mediators succeeded to reach a thaw at least for the time being between the chief minister and chief secretary.However, the transfer of director Anti-Corruption Establishment may lead to yet another episode of differences between the two powerhouses in the provincial administration.

When contacted, Chief Minister Pervez Khattak said he had no grudge against any bureaucrat or other officials. “We only want to serve our people and demand from the administration to help us with this sublime job,” he said.“I only believe in merit, the rule of law and service done in good intention. Allah helps those who serve their people with good intentions,” he remarked.