By Malik Irfanul Haq

Copyright dawn

RAHIM YAR KHAN: A clash broke out between a PML-N leader and former MNA and municipal committee (MC) administrator/additional deputy commissioner general (ADCG) with the former entering the latter’s office scuffling with him the other day.

On Sunday, some unidentified persons broke the door of the officer’s office, held the security personnel hostage and switched off the CCTV cameras at early hours on Sunday. They took the chair of ADCG Irfan Anwar and put it on the public walking track of the Town Hall in front of Jinnah Hall. According to reports, they allegedly tortured the MC guard when he resisted.

The incident occurred a day after PML-N district general secretary/former MNA Mian Imtiaz Ahmed entered the office with two dozen town planners and the clash started between him and Irfan Anwar. The politician’s men broke the entrance door of the office.

The PML-N district general secretary was allegedly angry because Anwar didn’t reply to his repeated calls, which he made to stop the officer from demolishing and sealing the illegal housing schemes. But the ADCG refused to succumb to the political pressure from the ruling party’s office-bearer.

On Saturday evening, Mian Imtiaz Ahmed held a press conference at his home, demanding the arrest of the officer, alleging that he was involved in corruption and discrimination against traders. PML-N divisional vice president Khalid Shaheen and former MPA Mehmood ul Hassan Cheema were also present.

ADCG’s office attacked, chair and files taken away; two FIRs registered; allegations of ‘corruption’ leveled against officer

Mian Imtiaz alleged that Mr Anwar had granted a contract to the Nadeem Traders Multan without any reason by bypassing all other firms and received Rs1.8 million for it. He said that on Aug 14 and 15 this year, when the sewerage was handed over to the Water and Sewerage Authority (Wasa), Mr Anwar passed the bills worth Rs10m in a single night.

He alleged that the officer had spent more than Rs10m on renovation of his house and he was getting petrol worth Rs700,000 per month for his official vehicle. He also alleged that Mr Anwar had received Rs0.7m from Virsa Furniture on Club Road and Rs200,000 from a beauty parlour near Apwa Ladies Club.

The politician said the ADCG also extorted Rs11.1m from Abdul Maalik who runs a shop in Businessman Colony and Rs300,000 from a fast food business.

Mian Imtiaz alleged that Anwar was receiving Rs10m from different housing schemes each and added that the officer was registering illegal first information reports (FIRs) against town planners.

According to municipal committee (MC) sources, before Mian Imtiaz Ahmed’s press conference, exchange of expletives had happened between Ahmed and Anwar when the former went to the latter’s office, accompanied by about 80 men. Both the officer and MNA leader allegedly slapped each other after exchange of harsh words.

ADCG Irfan Anwar told Dawn that the former MNA had started using abusive language on entering his office. He claimed that he was taking action against illegal schemes and registering FIRs against their owners on the instructions of the provincial government and deputy commissioner.

On Sunday, when some people arrived at the Town Hall for a morning walk, they were shocked to see the ADCG’s chair on the walking track.

Later in the evening, two first information reports were registered by ADCG Irfan Anwar and the chief officer of the municipal committee with City A Division police.

In the first FIR, the chief officer complained that four to five unidentified persons tortured the MC guard Abid Hussain and took away the ADCG’s chair and important files from the MC administrator’s office. Police registered a case under sections 380,506 and 186 of the Pakistan Penal Code.

In the second FIR, Irfan Anwar complained that Mian Imtiaz Ahmed with former MPA Mehmood Cheema with others arrived at his office. They were angry at his refusal to entertain their demands for illegal favours to protect the land grabbers, especially regarding illegal housing schemes, unapproved plazas, illegal buildings, encroachments and hoardings. Accompanied by Saqib Warraich, Sajid Manzoor and 80 others, armed with weapons, the PML-N leaders started abusing and assaulting the officer. The police registered a case under sections of PPC and The Punjab Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance.

Published in Dawn, September 22nd, 2025