Jhang DC Removed Over Pera Vehicle in Jeep Rally
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has removed Jhang Deputy Commissioner Babar Sahib Din with immediate effect after an official vehicle of the Punjab Enforcement and Regulatory Authority was used in a jeep rally. The Jhang DC removed case began when a video on social media showed a Pera vehicle taking part in the rally alongside other vehicles.
The chief minister announced the removal on X on Sunday and shared the transfer notification issued by the Punjab government.
What the chief minister said
Maryam Nawaz said in her post: “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.”
She added: “In view of this matter, the deputy commissioner is being removed from the post with immediate effect.”
The notification from the Punjab government’s Services and General Administration Department, issued on Sunday on the governor’s orders, said DC Sahib Din “is hereby transferred, with immediate effect” and directed him to report to the department for further orders.
The chief minister also answered a claim that the vehicle had been accompanying the rally for security and rescue purposes. She said security was the responsibility of the police, while rescue and emergency response fell 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 rally in the Jhang DC removed case
The three-day Jhang Thal Jeep Rally concluded last week, according to Jhang District Information Officer Riaz Marth. He said the event was organised in collaboration with private sponsors and had received appreciation from provincial government authorities.
The chief minister took notice of the incident when the video surfaced on social media. But the record shows the misuse of Pera vehicles had already been flagged inside the administration before her action. Pera Director General Farrukh Atiq Khan wrote to all deputy commissioners and chairpersons of District Enforcement and Regulatory Boards on October 21, after the rally had concluded, directing them 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 said. It noted that some deputy commissioners had handed over Pera vehicles to assistant deputy commissioners, which violated the authority’s official policy, and directed them to retrieve or withdraw Pera vehicles from any unauthorised allocation.
The timeline is therefore clear: the rally took place last week, the Pera chief warned against misuse on October 21, and the chief minister removed the Jhang deputy commissioner on Sunday, October 25.
What Pera is meant to do
Pera, the Punjab Enforcement and Regulatory Authority, was created in the middle of last year to conduct anti-encroachment and price control operations across parts of Punjab. Its field vehicles are issued for Pera field operations exclusively, which is why their appearance in a jeep rally drew action.
The authority has faced discipline questions before. In May, complaints poured in about its officials taking bribes from vendors and shopkeepers. Maryam Nawaz then ordered a crackdown on officials involved in illegal actions and harassment of the public, and set a deadline of June 30 for field officials to wear body cameras in a bid to ensure transparency.
She also ordered an upgrade of Pera’s internal intelligence and whistleblower system.
Punjab’s chief minister has intervened in other high-profile cases this year. After the family of Hina Javed wrote an open letter seeking a judicial commission, Maryam Nawaz said she would meet the family, and her office later gave the police version of that case. Her government has also pushed enforcement drives in Lahore, including anti-smog guns at pollution hotspots.
What happens next
DC Sahib Din has been directed to report to the Services and General Administration Department for further orders. No further action against any other officer has been announced so far.
