LAHORE: The Immigration and Passports authorities have recently suspended a system in-charge from Garden Town Regional Passport Office and transferred a few officials, including two assistant directors, from passport offices in Gujranwala and Sialkot on certain intelligence-le d `complaints`.

The ofhcials have been penalised on some `complaints of malpractices` reported by the Intelligence Bureau in the last one month or so, it is learnt.

The sources associated with officials (who were suspended or transferred) claim the authorities have taken action for not giving a VIP protocol to a politician and IB officials.

The interior ministry, after receiving reports that a system incharge who was also given an additional charge of an assistant director at the GTPO in violation of department rules and allegedly involved in corrupt practices, suspended him from service and marked an inquiry against him a few weeks ago.Similarly, a woman assistant director of the Gujranwala passport office and three officials, including an assistant director of the Siallcot passport office, have been transferred on multiple charges.

Sources in the Directorate General of Immigration and Passports told Dawn that several complaints had been received against the field staff working in passport offices across Punjab in the past two months or so, but complaints were based merely on general information provided by the IB and the general public.

They wondered how the authorities had transferred seven officials rather than suspending them from service and were holding inquiries and also posted most of them to other field offices.

One of the examples of recent posting is Superintendent Mehboob Qureshi who has been transferred from Gujranwala and posted as Chiniot AD passport vice Deputy Assistant Director Ghulam Mustafa who has replaced Mehrun Nisa.

Insiders claimed the transfers were made after IB officials were not given due protocol.System in-charge Tanveer Chaudhry at GTPO is currently facing aninquiry on charges ofcorruption he had allegedly committed in connivance with the agent mafia and mismanagement in office. His suspension is also being linked with the protocol he was supposed to give to a politician.

Assistant director Mehrun Nisa of the Gujranwala passport office has recently been transferred and directed to report to the headquarters. Belonging to the information group, she has recently moved the court against her `unjustified` transfer.

Similarly, assistant director Shahzad Aslam of Sialkot of fice, and a couple of his subordinates have also been transferred and closed to theheadquartersonthereportofIB.

Aslam had taken over the charge of his office only a few weeks back.

A senior official of the DGI&P confirmed that the system incharge had been facing an inquiry against multiple charges. He, however, claimed that transfers in passport offices of Gujranwala and Sialkot were routine administrative matters.