Row over anti-encroachment drive: Excise minister submits privilege motion in assembly against official

NOWSHERA: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Excise and Taxation Mian Jamsheduddin Kakakhel on Monday submitted a privilege motion in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly against an official of the Nowshera district administration.
It is the consequence of an incident in which the minister had directed the said official to stop the anti-encroachment drive in Nowshera.
It may be added that the district administration had launched an anti-encroachment drive on the Nowshera-Mardan Road. Additional Assistant Commissioner Dr Mohsin Habib was leading the anti-encroachment drive.
The traders staged protest against the drive claiming they had not been served with notices ahead of the action. They said that the operation was launched when the markets were closed.
The traders asked Mian Jamsheduddin to reach the spot and take up the issue with the officials. The minister directed the official to stop the operation forthwith.
However, the official and the minister resolved the issue at the office of the deputy commissioner. It was decided that a committee comprising Tehsil Naib Nazim. Fawad Ali Khan and village council nazim Ijaz Khan would identify the encroached land and lead the operation.
However, Assistant Commissioner Jamshed Khan said that the committee didn’t do its job and the issue remained unresolved.
He recalled that the elected representatives said that they were politicians and couldn’t take risk annoying the traders.
The official said the issue was blown out of proportion on the social media that infuriated the minister and he submitted a privilege motion in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly.
Talking to reporters, Mian Jamsheduddin said he had submitted the motion against the official on the insistence of his fellow lawmakers. He accused the official of being arrogant.
He said lawmakers also supported his stance that Mohsin Habib had not only disrespected him but also belittled the voters’ mandate.
The minister said how would the officials deal with the general public when they had no respect for the elected representatives.
He said that he was not against the anti-encroachment drive but insisted that the administration should have completed all legal formalities before launching it.
The minister added that it was the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government that launched the anti-encroachment drives across the province.
Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner Khwaja Muhammad Zeeshan launched the drive soon after the submission of the motion by the minister in the assembly.
He told reporters that the district administration would ensure 110 feet open roads.
He said the administration had not recommended registration of first information report against anyone, but instead submitted the report to the chief secretary on the issue.