KP DCs changed before phase-II of local govt polls

ISLAMABAD: After PTI’s embarrassing defeat in the first phase of the local government elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), the provincial government has changed almost every deputy commissioner in the districts where local elections are to be held in the second phase.

On January 11, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Establishment Department changed the deputy commissioners of several districts, including Tank, Abbottabad, Kohistan (Lower), Chitral Upper, Mansehra, Kolai Palas, Chitral Lower and Dir Upper.

According to a notification, DC Tank Muhammad Kabir Afridi has been removed and replaced by Arshad Qayyum Burki; Capt (retd) Nadeem Nasir, the DC Abbottabad, has been transferred and asked to report to the Establishment Department. The new DC Abbottabad is Tariq Salam.

Deputy Commissioner Kohistan Lower Syed Saif-ul-Islam has also been removed and asked to report to the Establishment Department. Shakeel Ahmad, who was deputy secretary in the Chief Minister’s secretariat, has been appointed as DC Kohistan Lower.

Deputy Commissioner Chitral Upper Muhammad Ali has also been removed and asked to report to the Establishment Department. In his place, the KP government has appointed another deputy secretary of the CM Secretariat, Manzoor Ahmad Afridi.

Deputy Commissioner Kolai Palas Muhammad Tariq has also been asked to report to the Establishment Department and in his place, Muhammad Asif has been appointed as the new DC Kolai Palas.

The DC Mansehra, Dr Qasim Ali Khan, has also been removed and asked to report to the Establishment Department. Deputy Secretary of the CM Secretariat Adnan Khan Bhittani has been transferred and posted as the new DC Mansehra.

Hassan Abid, who was deputy commissioner Chitral Lower, has been asked to report to the Establishment Department. ADC (G) Malakand Muhammad Anwarul Haq has been appointed as DC Chitral Lower.

The Deputy Commissioner Dir Upper, Muhammad Shoaib, has also been removed and asked to report to the Establishment Department. Additional Secretary Labour department Akmal Khan has been appointed as the new DC Dir Upper.

These changes raised eyebrows as the districts where all these deputy commissioners have been changed, happen to be those where the second phase of the local government elections are to be held on March 27.

The first phase of the local government elections was held in KP on December 19 last year. The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) suffered a major setback as its arch-rival the JUIF managed to grab the highest number of seats in the city, tehsil council, village, and neighbourhood councils.