Female DEO cancels drivers’ recruitment after PTI MPA’s threats

PESHAWAR: District Education Officer (DEO) Kohistan Upper Yasmeen has terminated the services of two newly appointed drivers due to pressure and threats from a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Member of Provincial Assembly (MPA) and sent copies of his letter to the authorities concerned.

The PTI MPA from Kohistan district had allegedly warned the female DEO of dire consequences if she did not withdraw the appointment orders of the drivers.

She wrote that there was an example of such threats in the case of Nawab Ali, a male DEO, who was killed in October 2019 in his office.

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has ordered an inquiry into the incident. The secretary and director of Elementary and Secondary Education have been directed to investigate the matter. Minister Shahram Tarakai confirmed that an inquiry had been ordered.

MPA Deedar Khan, however, denied the allegation of life threats and said that both the recruitments were illegal and such activities would not be allowed in his constituency. The education officer’s family sources confirmed the death threats.

The DEO Upper Kohistan issued a letter, No 8267-71 on Dec 2, 2020, a copy of which is available with the scribe, stating that Adil Nawaz was appointed as a driver at DEO (Female) Office Kohistan on October 8, 2020, vide letter No 7741-47, and Nasrullah Khan was appointed as a driver at SDEO (F) Office Dassu Kohistan on October 29, 2020, vide letter No 7940-45.

According to the letter, both offices were without official drivers a long time. The officer said that the MPA pressurised her to an extreme level to withdraw the office orders of the drivers, and threatened her telephonically. She wrote that such threats were also given to DEO Nawab Ali last year, who was later killed in his office. In the light of these facts, the appointment orders bearing endorsement No 7741-47 and 7940-45 have been withdrawn with an immediate effect, she added.

The female DEO has sent copies of the letter to the director Elementary and Secondary Education Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, the deputy commissioner Kohistan, the sub-divisional education officer (F) Dassu, and other relevant offices.

When this scribe spoke to her family sources, they confirmed the issuance of the letter, saying that the MPA had hurled threats and exerted pressure.

MPA Deedar Khan, when contacted by the scribe, vehemently denied the life threats, saying that he called the DEO (F) Upper Kohistan over illegal recruitments and asks her to dismiss them immediately. He admitted that he had put pressure on the education officer to terminate illegal recruitments. When asked under what law an MPA could put pressure on a government official, he said, “I am the elected MPA of the area. If there is any illegal activity going on in my constituency, I have the authority to put pressure and stop that illegal activity.” Deedar Khan said that if the female officer had any proof of his threats, she should bring it to the fore.

Muhammad Deedar Khan was elected as an independent candidate and later on he joined the PTI.