One-man wolf pack: Naib nazim rids Tank of pollution

Mullah Abdur Rehman drives tractor himself to clean roads, clear standing water

DI KHAN: He comes in a tractor, cleans the roads and shovels away the overflowing filth. Whenever they see him, they applaud and cheer him on. He is Mullah Abdur Rehman, the naib nazim of Tank’s

only tehsil.

Many people revere Rehman because of his passion to work for the people. He drives a tractor himself and initiates cleanliness drives in Tank city, especially during rainy season. People refer to him as “Khadim-e-Tank” – servant of Tank – to honour his commitment to the community.

Rehman won the local government elections in 2015 on a Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl ticket and was elected Tank tehsil’s naib nazim.

“I remove mud from the road, roadsides and the footpaths,” Rehman told The Express Tribune. “I get rid of standing water on the roads. I do whatever I can. I am committed to public service. However, there is a lack of funds and resources available.”

He added, “Tank city’s cleanliness has been ignored by the government, Tank Municipal Committee (TMC) is in financial straits and we don’t have enough machinery to keep the city clean.”

According to the tehsil naib nazim, the three tractors the city does have are often lying faulty.

“I repaired one of the tractors myself so I can use it to clean the city,” he said.

However, Ubaidullah, a resident of Tank city, said Rehman needs to reevaluate his priorities and focus on core issues.

“Mullah Abdur Rehman’s cleanliness initiative is commendable,” he said. “However, this is not a solution; he cannot [clean the entire city] alone. He must compel TMC to conduct regular cleanliness drives in the area.”

Published in The Express Tribune, March 18^th, 2016.