ECP reverses transfer of 9 officers appointed as ROs, DROs in tribal districts

PESHAWAR: Amid continued controversy over the recent postings and transfers in provincial bureaucracy, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday cancelled the posting and transfer orders of nine officers who were appointed as returning officers (ROs) and district returning officers (DROs) for various National Assembly constituencies.

The officers, whose transfer orders have been withdrawn by the ECP, were mostly posted in the recently merged tribal districts of the province.

These officers were appointed ROs and DROs for July 25 general election.

However, in the first major reshuffle in the provincial bureaucracy on June 21 they were transferred and posted out of these constituencies.

The ECP KP wrote to its secretary in Islamabad on June 22 to convey its concern over these ill-timed transfers.

Provincial Election Commissioner Pir Maqbool Ahmad’s letter to the ECP secretary pointed out that the provincial government transferred some officers, who had been notified ROs, and DROs vide a notification of May 7 for the upcoming general election.

The letter said the transfer/postings of ROs/DROs at this belated and critical stage could hamper the election process.

Mentioning the names of nine officers, the ECP KP chapter requested the ECP secretary to take up the matter with the provincial government and cancel these transfers and postings.

These officers include Syed Abdul Jabbar Shah, PCS EG (BPS-20), who was previously posted as Commissioner Bannu division. He was notified as DRO for the National Assembly (NA) Frontier Regions (FRs) NA-51 prior to the bureaucratic reshuffle. However, he was transferred and posted as Commissioner Mardan division on June 21.

Similarly, Muhammad Abdul Amir Khattak, who was previously posted as deputy commissioner (DC) tribal district Bajaur, was also appointed as DRO, National Assembly constituencies, NA-40 and 41 falling in Bajaur. But he was directed on June 21 to report to the Establishment Department.

Muhammad Ayaz, who was holding the charge of the officer of the DC of tribal district of North Waziristan before June 21, was also appointed as DRO for NA-48, in North Waziristan.

He was transferred and posted as Director General (DG) Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA). Bashir Khan, previously DC Kurram, was appointed DRO for NA-45 and 46 in Kurram, but he was transferred on June 21.

Abdul Nasir Khan, Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC), North Waziristan, was also transferred while he was already appointed as RO for NA-48.

Kamran Khattak, former ADC South Waziristan, was appointed as RO for NA-50, Nasrullah, ADC Kurram, RO for NA-46, Ashfaq Ahmed, AC, FR Bannu, RO for NA-51, and Zahid Usman Kakakhel, AC Jamrud, RO for NA-43 were also transferred as part of the June 21 sweeping bureaucratic reshuffle in which around 115 officers were shuffled.

Sources in the Civil Secretariat told this scribe that to put an end to the continued controversy over the June 21 reshuffle in bureaucracy and ward off any such situation in the future the second shakeup in the provincial bureaucracy would most probably take place in a week.