NWFP starts action against 155 officials
Thursday, January 14, 2010
By Riaz Khan Daudzai
PESHAWAR: The NWFP government has initiated action against officials having links to the militants in the Malakand division and other parts of the province.
Briefing the media at the end of the 18th meeting of the provincial cabinet on Wednesday, Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain, who is also the spokesperson for the provincial government, said so far,
action had been initiated against 155 officials of different departments.
The lists of these officials had been sent to their respective departments to take action against them under the Removal from Services Act. Mian Iftikhar said the
officials having proven links with the militants included 120 from education, 12 from health, six from Levies, four from the police, three from public health and 10 from other departments. The minister, however, did not mention the former commissioner of Malakand Division, Syed Muhammad Javed, who was arrested for his alleged links with the militants but released later.
The minister said the Education Department terminated the services of 11 such officials while show-cause notices were issued to eight others. He said the cabinet took exception to the slow pace of working of the Education Department in taking action against these officials and directed their respective departments to accelerate it.
To a question, he said that majority of the officials having links with militants were below Grade 15 and their involvement may include cooperation, provision of information and collaboration with the terrorists. Majority of them belong to Malakand division, he added.
The minister said the divisional commissioners were directed to furnish the lists of such officials in the last cabinet meeting so that they could be removed from service and their properties confiscated.
About the direct payment of funds to the province, the minister said except for the Rs 360 million provided by the US to the province, the NWFP had got no direct assistance so far. He said only one of the donors fulfilled its promise so far and provided funds for rehabilitation work in Khawas Koroona in Buner.
Links with militants