Official ignores notification withdrawing special magistrate powers from her

PESHAWAR: Though the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Home and Tribal Affairs Department issued a notification withdrawing the powers of special magistrate from Quratul Ain Wazir, she has continued to lead the anti-encroachment drive in the limits of the Cantonment Board Peshawar.

According to the notification (a copy of which is available with The News), the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Home and Tribal Affairs Department withdrew the powers of special magistrate conferred on her.

“The notification No.SO(Jud)/HD/3-88/2018 Vol-1 dated May 30, 2018, the conferring of powers of Special Magistrate First Class under Section 14-A of Criminal Procedure Code, 1898 (Act V of 1898) on Quratul Ain Wazir (PMS-BPS-17) Magistrate Cantonment Board Peshawar is hereby withdrawn with immediate effect,” it said.

Despite the issuance of the notification, Quratul Ain Wazir continued until recently to act as special magistrate and led the anti-encroachment drive carried out in the Peshawar Cantonment area. When contacted, Section Officer Judicial, Kamranullah said that the Home and Tribal Affairs Department had conferred powers of special magistrate on Quratul Ain Wazir to check price-hike and encroachments and take to task the non-taxpayers.

He added that under the 14-A of Criminal Procedure Code, the provincial government had the authority to confer or withdraw the special powers from any official of the department.

A source in the Home and Tribal Affairs Department said that Quratul Ain Wazir was facing serious allegations of misconduct and misuse of powers.

Talking to The News, Assistant Secretary of Cantonment Board Peshawar, Rukhsana Awan said that Quratul Ain Wazir had been sent to the Cantonment Board on deputation.

Another source in the Cantonment Board said that a few days back the deputy commissioner Peshawar and his team visited the Peshawar Cantonment area to check the price and quality of food and other daily use items and allegedly entered into an argument with Quratul Ain Wazir over the issue of jurisdiction.

The source added that Quratul Ain Wazir pointed out to the deputy commissioner and his team that they had no jurisdiction in the Peshawar Cantonment.

The News made repeated attempts to seek comments from Quratul Ain Wazir, but her cellphone was switched off. She is the first woman magistrate at the Cantonment Board Peshawar. She actively took steps to remove encroachments from the Peshawar Cantonment localities and check prices of daily use items.