'Misplaced over-smartness': Maryam removes Jhelum DC over exam postponement for her visit

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz removed the Jhelum deputy commissioner (DC) from his post on Sunday, following the postponement of computer science papers for intermediate students due to preparations for her visit to the district. The exams, originally scheduled for November 10, had been postponed on the recommendation of Mir Raza Ozgen, the now-dismissed Jhelum DC, who cited the deployment of security personnel as the reason for the postponement.

The decision drew criticism on social media, leading Maryam to announce the removal of the DC with immediate effect. She stated that her directives should not cause any inconvenience or disruption to the public during her visits to districts. Subsequently, Asma Ijaz, a BS-19 officer of the Pakistan Administrative Service, was transferred and posted as the new Jhelum DC.

Maryam announced that the postponed exams would now proceed according to the original schedule on November 10, emphasizing that the district administration's actions were acts of "foolishness or misplaced over-smartness." She also directed police and administrative officials to ensure that local businesses and residential areas remain unaffected by the visit, urging discreet security measures that do not inconvenience the public.