Why the Jhang DC was removed
The Jhang DC removed from office on Sunday is Deputy Commissioner Babar Sahib Din, after Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz ordered his immediate removal over the use of an official Punjab Enforcement and Regulatory Authority (Pera) vehicle in a jeep rally. She described the episode as a serious breach of administrative discipline.
Maryam said the authority’s resources had been put to “non-serious purposes” beyond its prescribed mandate. She shared a social media post with a video that showed a Pera vehicle taking part in the rally alongside other vehicles, and said that was when she took notice.
Official transfer and the rally context
She also shared a notification from the Punjab government’s Services and General Administration Department. On the governor’s orders, it said DC Sahib Din “is hereby transferred, with immediate effect” and was directed to report to the department for further orders.
The three-day Jhang Thal Jeep Rally, which concluded last week, was organised with private sponsors, according to Jhang District Information Officer Riaz Marth. He said the event had drawn appreciation from provincial government authorities.
Pera’s mandate and the CM’s reply
After a claim that the vehicle was with the rally for security and rescue, the chief minister said security was the police’s job and rescue and emergency response fell to Rescue 1122. “Neither function falls within Pera’s statutory mandate,” she said, adding that the activity had no apparent link to Pera’s duties and raised concerns about why its vehicle was deployed.
She also shared a letter from Pera Director General Farrukh Atiq Khan dated Oct 21, after the rally ended. He told all deputy commissioners and District Enforcement and Regulatory Board chairpersons to examine misuse of Pera vehicles. The letter said double-cabin vehicles issued for Pera field operations were being used in unauthorised activities, and that some DCs had handed them to assistant DCs against official policy. He ordered those vehicles retrieved or withdrawn from unauthorised allocation.
Timeline: what has happened so far
- Middle of last year: Pera is created to run anti-encroachment and price-control operations across Punjab.
- May: Complaints emerge about Pera officials taking bribes from vendors and shopkeepers; Maryam orders a crackdown on illegal action and harassment, a June 30 deadline for field officials to wear body cams, and upgrades to Pera’s internal intelligence and whistleblower system.
- Last week: The three-day Jhang Thal Jeep Rally concludes; a video later circulates showing a Pera vehicle in the event.
- Oct 21: Pera DG Farrukh Atiq Khan writes to DCs and DERB chairs on unauthorised use of Pera vehicles.
- Sunday: Maryam announces the Jhang DC removed with immediate effect and shares the transfer notification.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Punjab ki CM Maryam Nawaz ne Jhang ke DC Babar Sahib Din ko foran hata diya hai. Wajah yeh batayi gayi ke Pera ki sarkari gaari jeep rally mein istemal hui, jo us ke kaam se bahar hai. CM ne kaha ke security police ka kaam hai aur rescue 1122 ka. Aam logon ke liye yeh is baat ka ishara hai ke sarkari gaariyan aur resources sirf un ke asli kaam ke liye hain.
