Chapter 4

DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION

The history of appointment of Deputy Commissioner in Muzaffargarh goes as

far back as 1849 when the district was annexed to the British Empire. The

Deputy Commissioner remained subordinate to the Commissioner of Multan till 1982 when District Dera Ghazi Khan was separated from Multan Division

and made an independent Division. In addition to the District Dera Ghazi

Khan itself, Muzaffargarh, Layyah and Rajanpur constituted the new

Division.

Mr. Wedderburn, a British, had the honour of being the first Deputy

Commissioner of the district. Sardar Gurdial Singh Man was the first native

Deputy Commissioner of Muzaffargarh who held the office briefly from April

25, 1888 to June 22, 1888 only to come back again in 1889 for a longer run of nearly 4 years. However, the longest serving Deputy Commissioner was

Khan Bahadur Syed Bunyad Hussain who held the office from November 5,

1936 to October 15, 1941, i.e. just 20 days short of 5 years. Maulvi Inam Ali

had the distinction of being the first Muslim Deputy Commissioner who

remained in office from October 15, 1897 to October 21, 1898. Malik Muhammad Rustam Kiyani, also known as M. R. Kiyani, who later served as

Chief Justice of West Pakistan (1958-62), had also remained Deputy

Commissioner Muzaffargarh for around 9 months in 1931. At the time of

partition, Raja Sultan Lal Hussain was serving as the Deputy Commissioner.

M. Masud, who later came to be known as Masud Khaddarposh, owing to his

revolutionary thoughts and plain living, had also served as Deputy Commissioner Muzaffargarh from September 8, 1951 to May 7, 1953. The

author of this gazetteer had the honour of being 195th head of the District

Administration of Muzaffargarh.

As regards the evolution of office, by 1929, the Deputy Commissioner was

assisted by 2 Sub-Divisional officers posted at Layyah and Alipur. The

Deputy Commissioner was also the District Magistrate whereas the Assistant

Commissioners/Sub-Divisional Magistrates and Extra-Assistant Commissioners/Magistrates had first class magisterial powers. The

Tehsildars and Naib-Tehsildars were magistrates of 2nd and 3rd class

respectively. The Deputy Commissioner was the Collector of the district too,

and as such headed the district revenue staff. He was assisted by a Revenue

Assistant at the headquarters and by the 2 Sub-Divisional Officers who

exercised the powers of Assistant Collectors. The details were as follows:

Tehsildar Naib-Tehsildar Qanungo Patwari/

Assistant Patwari

Muzaffargarh 1 3 10 121

Layyah 1 2 6 63

Alipur 1 1 9 95

Kot Addu 1 1 6 69

By 1964, the Deputy Commissioner was still assisted by 2 Sub-Divisional

Officers; one each stationed at Alipur and Layyah. The Sub-Divisional officers

also exercised powers of Assistant Collectors subject to the control of the Deputy Commissioner/District Collector. There was slight variation in the

strength of revenue staff though, as is evident from the following table:

Tehsildar Naib-Tehsildar Qanungo Patwari/ Assistant Patwari

Muzaffargarh 1 3 10 116

Layyah 1 1 6 61

Alipur 1 1 9 91

Kot Addu 1 1 6 66

The Deputy Commissioner was still the District Magistrate and was assisted

in magisterial work by an Additional District Magistrate, one General

Assistant, one Treasury Officer and two Sub-Divisional Magistrates at Alipur

and Layyah respectively. The Revenue Assistant, being an Extra Assistant Commissioner, was also invested with the powers of a Magistrate and was

accordingly entrusted with the magisterial work by the District Magistrate.

All those magistrates exercised 1st Class powers while the District

Magistrate, Additional District Magistrate and Sub-Divisional Magistrate,

Alipur had powers under Section 30 and Section 260 of the Criminal

Procedure Code, 1898 too. They also had the powers to hear appeals from the orders of the 2nd and 3rd Class Magistrates in their respective

jurisdictions. The General Assistant, Muzaffargarh too was exercising powers

under Section 30 of the Criminal Procedure Code. All the Tehsildars and

Naib-Tehsildars were invested with the powers of 2nd and 3rd Class

Magistrates respectively.

The system underwent a drastic change in 2001 with the promulgation of

the Local Government Ordinance, 2001, commonly referred to as the

Devolution of Power Plan, whereby the office of the Deputy Commissioner

was abolished and replaced with the District Coordination Officer (DCO),

under the overall command of an elected District Nazim. The district departments were grouped into 9 sets, each headed by an Executive District

Officer, who were in turn answerable and subordinate to the District

Coordination Officer. The executive magistracy was also abolished and the

head of the District Administration ceased to be the District Magistrate.

With the promulgation of the Punjab Civil Administration Act 2017, the office

of the Deputy Commissioner was revived on January 1, 2017, albeit in a different form. However, he was not invested with the powers of the District

Magistrate.

At present, the Deputy Commissioner is assisted by 3 Additional Deputy

Commissioners (Revenue, General and Finance) as well as an Assistant

Commissioner (Coordination and Human Resource) and a General Assistant

Revenue at the headquarters. All the 4 tehsils are headed by the Assistant

Commissioners. The Deputy Commissioner as well as the Additional Deputy

Commissioner (Revenue) exercise the powers of the District Collector whereas the Assistant Commissioners exercise powers of Collectors of Sub-

Divisions subject to the control of the District Collector. An overview of the

revenue staff of the District is as follows:

Village Revenue

Circle

Qanungoi

Circle

Patwar

Circle

Tehsildar Naib-Tehsildar

Muzaffargarh 423 6 11 130 1 5

Kot Addu 341 7 8 136 1 6

Alipur 207 3 5 60 1 2

Jatoi 93 4 5 48 1 3

1064 20 29 374 4 16

LIST OF DEPUTY COMMISSIONERS MUZAFFARGARH

NAME FROM TO

MR. WEDDERBURN MR. J. H. PRINSEP LT. JAMES

1849

LT. FARRINGTON CAPTAIN VOYLE LT. McNEILE LT. J. S. TIGHE CAPTAIN BRISTOW

1850-57

MR. HENDERSON 1858

CAPTAIN BRISTOW CAPTAIN MAXWELL

1859

LT. J. S. TIGHE 1860

1 CAPTAIN J.S. TIGHE 01-01-1861 31-07-1861

2 CAPTAIN T. F. FORSTER 01-08-1861 31-10-1861

3 CAPTAIN J.S. TIGHE 01-11-1861 31-07-1862

4 CAPTAIN H. J. HAWES 01-08-1862 24-10-1865

5 MR. R. G. MELVILL 25-10-1865 24-12-1865

6 MAJOR H. J. HAWES 25-12-1865 08-04-1866

7 CAPTAIN R. G. MELVILL 09-04-1866 16-12-1866

8 MAJOR H. J. HAWES 17-12-1866 02-05-1868

9 CAPTAIN ARMSTRONG 03-05-1868 14-06-1868

10 CAPTAIN J. FENDALL 15-06-1868 30-04-1869

11 MR. G. E. WAKEFIELD 01-05-1869 31-10-1869

12 CAPTAIN J. FENDALL 01-11-1869 28-07-1870

13 MR. M. MACAULIFFE 29-07-1870 07-09-1870

14 CAPTAIN J. FENDALL 08-9-1870 27-05-1871

15 CAPTAIN F. J. MILLER 28-05-1871 09-06-1871

16 MR. F.D. BULLOOK 10-06-1871 09-02-1872

17 CAPTAIN F. J. MILLER 10-02-1872 22-03-1872

18 MR. J. D. TREMLETT 23-03-1872 16-08-1875

19 MR. F. E. MOORE 17-08-1875 05-11-1875

20 MR. J. D. TREMLETT 06-11-1875 03-06-1876

21 MR. D. B. SINCLAIR 04-06-1876 03-07-1876

22 MR. J. D. TREMLETT 04-07-1876 08-03-1877

23 MAJOR F. D. HARRINGTON 09-03-1877 08-12-1878

24 MR. M. MACAULIFFE 09-12-1878 09-05-1879

25 MR. EDWARD O’BRIEN 10-05-1879 26-10-1879

26 MR. M. MACAULIFFE 27-10-1879 07-03-1880

27 MR. EDWARD O’BRIEN 08-03-1880 31-05-1881

28 MR. C. E. GLADSTONE 01-06-1881 17-07-1881

29 MR. H. W. STEEL 18-07-1881 24-11-1881

30 MR. EDWARD O’BRIEN 25-11-1881 31-05-1882

31 MR. C. E. GLADSTONE 01-06-1882 11-06-1883

32 MR. R. MACONACHIE 12-06-1883 26-07-1883

33 MR. C. E. GLADSTONE 29-07-1883 26-10-1883

34 MR. A. H. BENTON 27-10-1883 10-11-1884

35 MR. J. C. BROWN 11-11-1884 04-06-1886

36 MR. H. MEREDITH 05-06-1886 15-08-1886

37 MR. T. C. BROWN 16-08-1886 17-02-1887

38 MR. H. W. STEEL 18-02-1887 24-04-1888

39 SARDAR GURDIAL SINGH MAN 25-04-1888 22-06-1888

40 MR. H. W. STEEL 23-06-1888 19-04-1889

41 SARDAR GURDIAL SINGH MAN 20-04-1889 05-03-1893

42 CAPTAIN F. E. BRADSHAW 06-03-1893 24-04-1893

43 CAPTAIN C. M. DALLAS 25-04-1893 06-11-1893

44 CAPTAIN C. P. EGERTON 07-11-1893 20-11-1893

45 CAPTAIN C. M. DALLAS 21-11-1893 13-08-1894

46 DIWAN NARINDRA NATH 14-08-1894 14-10-1894

47 CAPTAIN C. M. DALLAS 15-10-1894 18-07-1895

48 MR. R. LOVE 19-07-1895 19-08-1895

49 CAPTAIN C. M. DALLAS 20-08-1895 25-02-1896

50 MR. C.L. DUNDAS 26-02-1896 02-04-1896

51 CAPTAIN F. E. BRADSHAW 03-04-1896 24-03-1897

52 MR. R. LOVE 25-03-1897 19-08-1897

53 MR. A. J. W. KITCHIN 20-08-1897 14-10-1897

54 MAULVI INAM ALI 15-10-1897 21-10-1898

55 MR. E. A. ESTCOURT 22-10-1898 20-01-1899

56 MAULVI INAM ALI 21-01-1899 13-10-1899

57 CAPTAIN H. S. FOXSTRANGWAYS 14-10-1899 01-05-1901

58 SHEIKH ASGHAR ALI 02-05-1901 17-06-1901

59 CAPTAIN H. S. FOXSTRONGWAYS 18-06-1901 04-10-1901

60 MR. A. J. W. KITCHIN 05-10-1901 29-10-1901

61 SHEIKH ASGHAR ALI 30-10-1901 02-09-1903

62 MR. A.L.DANDAS 03-09-1903 02-10-1903

63 MR. SHEIKH ASGHAR ALI 03-10-1903 31-10-1905

64 MR. R. T. CLARKE 01-11-1905 13-08-1907

65 MR. N. H. PRENTER 14-08-1907 21-10-1907

66 MR. R. T. CLARKE 22-10-1907 16-02-1908

67 MR. J. M. DUNNETT 17-02-1908 20-10-1908

68 MR. R. SYKES 21-10-1908 01-03-1909

69 RAI BAHADUR PANDIT HARI KISHAN KAUL

02-03-1909 06-04-1910

70 MR.F.W. SKEMP 07-04-1910 16-06-1911

71 LALA TOPAN RAM 17-06-1911 19-06-1911

72 MR. M. S. LEIGH 20-06-1911 31-07-1911

73 MR. F.W. SKEMP 01-08-1911 22-10-1911

74 MAJOR A.J. O’BRIEN, C.I.F. 23-10-1911 07-04-1912

75 MR. F. W. SKEMP 08-04-1912 20-05-1913

76 MR. I. C. LALLI.S.O. 21-05-1913 18-09-1913

77 MR. W.W. POWELL 19-09-1913 18-10-1913

78 MR.I. C. LALL I.S.O. 19-10-1913 20-07-1914

79 SHEIKH RUKAN-UD-DIN 21-07-1914 11-08-1914

80 MR.I. C. LALL I.S.O. 12-08-1914 26-05-1915

81 MR.J.R.S. PARSON 27-05-1915 30-07-1915

82 SHEIKH RUKAN-UD-DIN 31-07-1915 15-08-1915

83 MR.J.R.S. PARSON 16-08-1915 24-10-1915

84 MAJOR C.H. BUCK. I.A. 25-10-1915 04-12-1916

85 MR. E. SHEEPSHANKS 05-12-1916 09-01-1917

86 MAJOR C.H. BUCK. I.A. 10-01-1917 18-03-1917

87 RAI BAHADUR BHAI HOTU SINGH 19-03-1917 13-09-1918

88 MR. H.H. JENKYOS 14-09-1018 12-12-1918

89 RAI BAHADUR BHAI HOTU SINGH 13-12-1918 23-05-1920

90 SHEIKH SIRAJ-UD-DIN 24-05-1920 29-11-1920

91 MR. F. B. WACE 30-11-1920 08-03-1921

92 KHAN BAHADUR SHEIKH SIRAJ-UD-DIN 09-03-1921 25-10-1925

93 SARDAR BAHADUR NIHAL SINGH 7-11-1925 19-05-1926

94 SYED MUHAMMAD SHAH 20-05-1926 04-06-1926

95 SARDAR BAHADUR NIHAL SINGH 5-06-1926 30-06-1927

96 NAWABZADA SAIDULLAH KHAN 01-07-1927 30-09-1928

97 MR. E. H. LINCOLN 01-10-1928 11-03-1931

98 MR. M. R. KIYANI 12-03-1931 08-12-1931

99 SH. NOOR MUHAMMAD 09-12-1931 14-06-1935

100 MALIK SAHIB KHAN NOOR 15-06-1935 14-11-1936

101 KHAN BAHADUR SYED BUNYAD HUSSAIN 05-11-1936 15-10-1941

102 SARDAR NANIK SINGH 16-10-1941 14-01-1944

103 RAJA SULTAN LAL HUSSAIN 15-01-1944 18-08-1947

104 S. IJAZ HUSSAIN 19-08-1947 08-11-1947

105 MR. C. H. DISNEY 08-11-1947 01-01-1948

106 MR. S. M. RASHID 01-01-1948 11-08-1950

107 MR. M. A. CHEEMA 11-08-1950 10-11-1950

108 PIR KARAM SHAH 01-12-1950 13-08-1951

109 M. INAYATULLAH 13-08-1951 08-09-1951

110 MR. M. MASUD 08-09-1951 07-05-1953

111 M. G. YAZDANI MALIK 07-05-1953 20-09-1954

112 M. ABDUL QUYYUM 20-09-1954 07-05-1955

113 MR. M. A. AVAIS 07-05-1955 29-06-1956

114 S. ATTA MUHAMMAD KHAN 29-09-1956 31-12-1957

115 MALIK NOOR MUHAMMAD 31-12-1957 16-12-1958

116 RAJA GHULAM MEHDI 16-12-1958 25-03-1959

117 CH. SULTAN MEHMOOD 25-03-1959 09-11-1960

118 S. MANZOOR HUSSAIN 09-11-1960 01-10-1962

119 MR. S. M. ASKARI NAQVI 01-10-1962 10-05-1963

120 MALIK AHMAD KHAN 11-05-1963 16-04-1964

121 PIR SALAH UD DIN 17-04-1964 16-08-1965

122 DR. M. ARSHAD MALIK 23-08-1965 13-02-1966

123 MR. AHMAD SHAFI 28-03-1966 13-04-1967

124 MR. KHALID JAWED 14-04-1967 15-07-1969

125 MALIK ZAWAR HUSSAIN 16-07-1969 12-06-1971

126 RAJA SALEEM AKHTART.K. 12-06-1971 26-04-1972

127 SYED SARFRAZ HUSSAIN 26-04-1972 05-04-1973

128 CH. IMTIAZ AHMAD SAHI 06-04-1973 25-03-1974

129 MR. MUHAMMAD AFZAL KAHUT 26-03-1974 17-05-1974

130 MALIK ABDUL MAJID 18-05-1974 30-10-1975

140 MR. M. A. LONE 31-10-1975 20-06-1977

141 S. G. BAQIR ALI KHAN 22-07-1977 24-10-1978

142 IMTIAZ MASROR 24-10-1978 04-10-1980

143 MAHMUD-UZ-ZAMAN KHAN 04-10-1980 31-08-1981

144 MR. KAMRAN RASOOL 14-09-1981 20-06-1983

145 FAYYAZ BASHIR 20-06-1983 17-07-1986

146 MR. B.A. FAROOQI OFFG 18-08-1986 29-08-1986

147 MUHAMMAD AYUB MALIK 30-08-1986 05-03-1987

148 MUHAMMAD HAMEDULLAH SHEIKH OFFG 06-03-1987 19-08-1987

149 MUHAMMAD AAMER KHAN 19-08-1987 26-03-1990

150 TARIQ SHAFI CHAK 26-03-1990 30-09-1991

151 ALI TAHIR ZAIDI 30-09-1991 12-10-1992

152 SHAHID ULLAH BAIG 12-10-1992 05-12-1994

153 SALMAN AHMAD 05-12-1994 03-03-1997

154 RIZWAN BASHIR KHAN 07-03-1997 27-05-1998

155 ATHAR HUSSAIN KHAN SIAL 26-06-1998 26-09-1998

156 MIAN MUHAMMAD IJAZ 26-09-1998 07-01-1999

157 ALLAH BUKHSH MALIK 18-02-1999 08-06-1999

158 MUHAMMAD ASHRAF 04-07-1999 17-11-1999

159 CAPTAINR. JAHANZEB KHAN 18-11-1999 12-08-2000

160 AHMAD HUSSAIN 12-08-2000 22-10-2000

161 SAQIB ALEEM 23-10-2000 13-08-2001

DISTRICT COORDINATION OFFICERS MUZAFFARGARH

NAME FROM TO

1 SAJJAD SALEEM HOTIANA 15-08-2001 03-04-2002

2 MUHAMMAD AZAM SALEEM 03-04-2002 12-06-2003

3 SHAMSHER ALI KHAN SIAL 12-06-2003 24-02-2004

4 MUHAMMAD ANIS QURASHI 24-02-2004 22-07-2004

5 CH. MUHAMMAD AZHAR 22-07-2004 18-03-2006

6 TARIQ NAJEEB NAJMI 10-04-2006 18-04-2007

7 AKHTER NAZIR WARAICH 18-04-2007 05-05-2008

8 TARIQ JAVEID MALIK 06-05-2008 31-08-2009

9 MAHMOOD ASLAM 14-09-2009 05-08-2010

10 FARASAT IQBAL 05-08-2010 01-09-2010

11 TAHIR KHURSHID 01-09-2010 02-09-2012

12 MUZAFFAR KHAN SIAL (ADDITIONAL CHARGE)

03-09-2012 26-09-2012

13 ABRAR AHMAD MIRZA 27-09-2012 11-03-2013

14 MALIK MUHAMMAD ASHRAF AWAN 12-03-2013 08-04-2013

15 QAZI ZAFAR IQBAL 08-04-2013 26-06-2013

16 FARASAT IQBAL 26-06-2013 29-03-2014

17 TANVEER IQBAL TABASSUM 29-03-2014 09-04-2014

18 HAFIZ SHAUKAT ALI 09-04-2014 01-01-2017

DEPUTY COMMISSIONERS MUZAFFARGARH

NAME FROM TO

1 HAFIZ SHAUKAT ALI 01-01-2017 26-01-2017

2 MUHAMMAD SAIF ANWAR JAPPA 26-01-2017 21-06-2018

3 KAISER SALEEM 25-06-2018 29-10-2018

4 DR. EHTASHAM ANWAR 31-10-2018 18-10-2019