Over office space: Monitoring chairperson, education officer at loggerheads

Former demanded space in education office to monitor work in better way

SHABQADAR: Differences have emerged between the Charsadda district education officer (DEO) and chairperson of the district council education monitoring committee.

The committee’s chairperson had demanded an office within the district education to monitor education-related activities. However, the DEO had refused.

Chairperson of the education monitoring committee, Shahidullah Khan – who is also a member of Charsadda district assembly from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf –had requested for an office on the premises of district education office on Mardan Road in Charsadda. He told The Express Tribune it was his right to have the office in Charsadda so that their committee could function smoothly.

However, Charsadda District Education Officer Sharif Gul rejected the demand of providing an office, saying there are no such bylaws in the local government document that speak about provision of offices to anybody inside the education office. Gul said this would lead to creation of a parallel body in the education office, which could affect activities there.

Gul has also requested the deputy commissioner to help him in this regard.

Claiming rights

According to Shahidullah, all the heads of district monitoring committees have their offices inside their relevant department. He said the district nazim who is heading the district administration has written to the education officer for his request.

“The district education officer is denying our rights, which is a clear violation of the local government bylaws,” Shahidullah said. “[If the request is not heard] we will agitate against Gul and ask the education department to transfer him from the district.”

On their sides

Members of All Teachers Coordination Council in Charsadda have rejected Shahidullah’s allegation. They have said if the government takes action against Gul they will stand behind the latter.

The council’s Charsadda president, Muhammad Nasir, told the media that members of PTI were blackmailing education officers. He said this was unacceptable and suggested Shahidullah should not interfere in the official activity.

When contacted, a local government official in Charsadda said he did not know about the allotment of offices to the monitoring committee’s chairperson. He added some other departments had given offices to their relevant chairpersons.

PTI has two groups in Charsadda. One is led by Charsadda district nazim Fahaz Riaz, while the other is managed by PTI MPA Arif Ahmadzai. Shahidullah, who belongs to the MPA’s group, has protested against his own district nazim as well over internal rifts of the party.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 7^th, 2016.