Accounts officer ‘demanded bribe to issue salaries’

Eleven teachers of a girls’ school file complaint with accountant general.

DERA GHAZI KHAN: Eleven women teachers of a government high school in Dera Ghazi Khan have filed a complaint against the district officer (Accounts) with the Accountant General of the Punjab accusing him of holding back their salaries for three months because they refused to pay bribes.

Meanwhile, Bashir Qamer, the accused official, has lodged a complaint against a clerk and a brother of one of the teachers with the Civil Lines police. He has alleged that the two broke into his office, beat him up and damaged official property.

The complainants, however, say that they had sent clerk Saifullah, Tayeb Farooq and Shamsher Ali Khan to his office to request him to issue their salaries. They say that Qamar did not listen to their requests and instead beat them up.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Qamar denied these charges. He said that the men broke into his office and started beating him without saying a word. He added that he had already cleared the salaries.

In their written complaint addressed to the accountant general, teachers of Government Girls High School Samina Saadat tehsil have accused Qamar of not clearing their school’s bills for the month of October and November, 2010, because they refused to pay a bribe.

They have alleged that the accounts officer had illegally made property in Bahawalpur. “He has looted so much money by exercising unfair means and illegal proceedings that he has become a millionaire overnight,” the text of the complaint reads. They have requested the accountant general to transfer Qamar to Lahore and initiate an inquiry against him. The complainants include headmistress Bilquis Tareen, Mehnaz Akhtar, Salma Nazir, Rehana Atta, Farzana Mushtaq, Shama Shumaila, Attiya Irshad, Shahida Begum, Rabia Basri, Shagufta Kanwal, and Saeeda Begum.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 28^th,  2011.