Jhelum gets new DC as predecessor removed over exam row

JHELUM: The Punjab government has removed Deputy Commissioner Jhelum Mir Raza from his post and appointed Asma Ejaz as the new deputy commissioner after he sought to have an intermediate supplementary examination rescheduled in view of a proposed visit of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.

Govt appoints Asma Ejaz as new deputy commissioner following violation of directives on public inconvenience

JHELUM: The Punjab government has removed Deputy Commissioner Jhelum Mir Raza from his post and appointed Asma Ejaz as the new deputy commissioner after he sought to have an intermediate supplementary examination rescheduled in view of a proposed visit of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.
An official notification has been issued regarding the appointment of Ms Ejaz, who has been transferred from the Home Department to take charge as deputy commissioner Jhelum.
The action against the former DC came after he wrote to the Rawalpindi Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, recommending that the Computer Science paper scheduled for Nov 10, 2026, be rescheduled because of security arrangements linked to the chief minister’s expected visit to the district.
The move drew a strong reaction from Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, who termed the proposed change contrary to her standing directives that official visits should not disrupt the routine lives of citizens or educational activities of students.
The chief minister said public visits and security arrangements must not become a cause of inconvenience for students or the general public. She ordered the removal of the deputy commissioner with immediate effect after the matter came to her notice.
Ms Maryam also reiterated instructions to regional police officers, district police officers, commissioners and deputy commissioners that markets, shops and business centres should not be closed because of her visits.
She directed that traffic and the movement of citizens should not be unnecessarily restricted during official visits, adding that security arrangements should be made in a manner that remained largely unobtrusive.
The chief minister further ordered that no residential street should be sealed or closed in the name of security and residents should not be prevented from moving in and out of their neighbourhoods.
She warned that officials violating the directives would face strict action.
The removal of the Jhelum DC is being viewed as a strong administrative message from the Punjab government that security and protocol arrangements for official visits cannot take precedence over students’ examinations, commercial activity or routine public movement.
The appointment of Asma Ejaz comes amid renewed emphasis by the provincial government on limiting disruption caused by VIP movements and ensuring that administrative arrangements remain focused on public convenience.
[7:41 PM, 11/8/2026] Hadia: Same publish as it’sJHELUM: The Punjab government has removed Deputy Commissioner Jhelum Mir Raza from his post and appointed Asma Ejaz as the new deputy commissioner after he sought to have an intermediate supplementary examination rescheduled in view of a proposed visit of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.