LAHORE: The Provincial Management Service Officers Association of Punjab has expressed concerns over the arrest of additional deputy commissioner revenue by a civil court`s bailiff in a `humiliating` manner from his office and asked the chief secretary to ensure dignity of the officers of the district administration.

A civil court had issued warrants for the arrest of Additional Deputy Commissioner Revenue (ADCR) Adnan Rasheed for his failure to respond to repeated summons in a case related to the property of a citizen. However, the court withdrew the warrants after a bailiff produced the officer the other day.

A video, allegedly filmed by the bailiff, of the arrest saga of the ADCR from hisoffice went viral on social media. The staff members of the additional commissioner can be seen in the video arguing with the bailiff for bringing `unnecessary` officials for the execution of the arrest warrants.

The staff offered resistance to the bailiff who was assisted by police when they put handcuffs on the additional commissioner.

The bailif f did not remove the handcuffs despite Rasheed repeatedly assured them of peacefully going to the court.

Civil Judge Shafgat Rasool cancelled arrest warrants of Rasheed after he was presented by the bailiff.

The officer told the court that he could not even think of violating a court`s direction. He said there must have been some misunderstanding that led to issuance of his warrants. He assured the judge that a report on the implementation of the court order would be presented within a day.

In its letter, the PMS association said the incident was not just an isolated case but a glaring example of the challenges and risks the officers of the district administration regularly faced.

It termed the arrest of Rasheed a judicial overreach and in violation of the Supreme Court`s judgments. It said limited assistance from the district attorney`s office, especially in complex legal matters, left the district officers exposed to various risks without proper defense.

The association demanded the chief secretary to ensure provision of complete legal assistance by the government to Adnan Rasheed who had been `humiliated`. It also demanded the establishment of an administrative police force within the deputy commissioner`s offices.