Row over assets’ handover: Probe ordered into attack on TMO

MANSEHRA: Commissioner Hazara Zaheerul Islam has constituted a committee to probe the alleged attack on Tehsil Municipal Officer (TMO) Kandar Hassanzai by the personnel of Torghar Levies after the former refused to hand over his department’s vehicle to deputy commissioner of Torghar.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief secretary had asked Zaheerul Islam to set up the committee after the TMO alleged that the Levies personnel dragged and beat him up at his office with rifles and batons. The official said he sustained injuries when he was roughed up.

Ghulam Murtaza, the TMO Kundar Hassanzai tehsil in Torghar, told reporters that the deputy commissioner was demanding the vehicle that remained in use of the former tehsil nazim.

He alleged that he was tortured by the Levies personnel when he refused to hand over the vehicle.

The TMO also submitted an application with the police seeking registration of the first information report against the deputy commissioner, Javed Ali Orakzai, and the six personnel of Levies force including their Subedar Gul Faraz.

Ghulam Murtaza said that the deputy commissioner had called him at his office last week and asked him to hand over the official vehicle to him.

“I refused to oblige him by arguing that it was illegal under the Local Government Act 2013,” he recalled.

The deputy commissioner, Javed Ali Orakzai, when approached said that the Hazara commissioner had constituted a committee to probe the incident.

“I asked not only Ghulam Murtaza but other officials also to hand over all movable assets to my office as per government order as the local government system has been wrapped up and these assets will be distributed through a committee set up for the purpose later,” Javed Ali Orakzai said.

The deputy commissioner claimed that the Kandar Hassanzai TMO had inflicted injuries to a clerk of his office, who had been sent to collect the assets.