Much to the chagrin of senior officers, the administration of Chief Minister (CM) Usman Buzdar in Punjab, in a blatant violation of the rules, has appointed grade-18 officers as deputy commissioners (DCs) in 22 out of total 36 districts of the province, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Wednesday.

On the other hand, grade-19 officers of the DMG and PMS groups are disillusioned and also stunned at the audacity of the Punjab government with which it bypassed them and appointed their juniors on such a coveted post.   

24News has learnt that Umer Sher Chattha, the DC of Lahore, is in fact a grade-18 officer, but is serving in grade-20; DC Kasur Fayyaz Ahmad Mohal is also a grade-18 officer; DC Sheikhupura Rana Shakeel Aslam is also a junior officer but has been elevated to a senior post; DC Nankana Zahid Pervez is a grade-18 officer; DC Sialkot Tahir Farooq is another grade-18 officer; DC Chakwal Bilal Hashim is yet another junior officer serving on a senior post; DC Sargodah Asghar Joiya is also a grade-18 officer; DC Khushab Hamza Salik is also a grade-18 officer but has been promoted to grade-20; DC Mianwali Khuram Shehzad is another junior officer; DC Faisalabad Ali Shehzad is also a grade-18 officer; DC Toba Tek Singh Umar Javed is serving in grade-20 despite being a grade-18 officer; Shahid Abbas is another blue-eyed boy of CM Buzdar who is serving as DC Jhang; DC Chiniot Muhammad Asim Javed is also a junior official; DC Khanewal Agha Zaheer Abbas Shirazi is another grade-18 officer; DC Lodhran Shoaib Ali is a junior officer.

Similarly, Muhammad Ali Ijaz is actually a grade-18 officer, but is currently posted as DC Okara; DC Pakpattan Ahmir Sohail Kayfi is also a junior official; DC Bahawalnagar Muhammad Waseem is another CM Buzdar administration’s favourite; DC Rahim Yar Khan Mehtab Naseem Azhar is also a grade-18 officer; DC Dera Ghazi Khan Zeeshan Javed is also a junior official; DC Muzzafargarh Syed Moosa Raza is another junior officer, but has been promoted to grade-20, and DC Rajanpur Ahmer Naik is also a grade-18 officer. 

Reporter Qaiser Khokhar