Jhang DC removed over use of Pera vehicle for 'non-serious purposes' in jeep rally: CM Maryam

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz said on Sunday that Jhang Deputy Commissioner Babar Sahib Din was being removed immediately over the recent use of an official vehicle of the Punjab Enforcement and Regulatory Authority (Pera) in a jeep rally, terming it a breach of discipline.

A three-day Jhang Thal Jeep Rally, which concluded last week, was organised in collaboration with private sponsors, according to Jhang District Information Officer Riaz Marth. He added that the event had received appreciation from provincial government authorities.

The chief minister took notice of the incident when a video surfaced on social media showing a Pera vehicle participating in the rally alongside other vehicles.

“The deployment of a regulatory authority’s resources for non-serious purposes, beyond its officially prescribed mandate, constitutes a serious breach of administrative discipline and a violation of established policy,” Maryam said on X on Sunday, sharing a post with the video.

“In view of this matter, the deputy commissioner is being removed from the post with immediate effect,” the chief minister said.

She also posted a notification issued by the Punjab government’s Services and General Administration Department on Sunday, which said that on the governor’s orders, DC Sahib Din “is hereby transferred, with immediate effect” and directed to report to the department for further orders.

In a later response to a claim that the vehicle was accompanying the rally for security and rescue purposes, the chief minister pointed out that security was the responsibility of the police, while rescue and emergency response were within the mandate of Rescue 1122.

“Neither function falls within Pera’s statutory mandate,” she said. “The activity in question, therefore, has no apparent connection with Pera’s prescribed duties and raises serious concerns about the rationale for deploying its vehicle in the rally.”

The Punjab CM also shared a letter issued by Pera Director General Farrukh Atiq Khan on Oct 21 — after the jeep rally concluded — wherein he directed all DCs and chairpersons of DERBs (District Enforcement and Regulatory Boards) to look into the misuse of Pera vehicles.

“It has been observed that Pera double-cabin vehicles issued to your good offices, for Pera field operations exclusively, are being engaged in unauthorised activities/operations,” the letter by the retired captain read.

It noted that some DCs had handed over Pera vehicles to assistant DCs, which was a violation of the authority’s official policy. DG Khan directed the DCs to retrieve or withdraw Pera vehicles from “any unauthorised allocation”.

The Pera force, created in the middle of last year, was aimed at conducting anti-encroachment and price control operations across various parts of Punjab, but in May, complaints poured in about its officials taking bribes from vendors and shopkeepers.

Subsequently, Maryam had ordered a crackdown on its officials involved in illegal actions and harassment of the public. She also set a deadline of June 30 for the field officials to wear body cams in a bid to ensure transparency and accountability.

The chief minister had also directed the authorities concerned to upgrade Pera’s internal intelligence and whistleblower system. At the time, she raised serious concerns regarding Pera’s credibility and discipline.