In Swat, the situation has become concerning after allegations of bribery surfaced regarding vacant patwari positions in the Deputy Commissioner’s office, prompting growing demands for a transparent investigation.

According to sources, an advertisement was recently issued for nine vacant patwari positions in the Deputy Commissioner Office Swat. However, it is alleged that during the recruitment process, each candidate was asked to pay Rs350,000.

Reports suggest that Naveed Ahmed, a resident of Saidu Sharif and allegedly a close relative of a girdawar named Faisal, collected money from all candidates.

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 He reportedly assured them that the amount would be delivered to the Deputy Commissioner Swat through a person named Barkat, who is said to be an employee of the local government.

Deputy Commissioner Swat, Saleemullah Marwat, has denied the allegations, stating that no test for patwari recruitment has been conducted so far. 

He added that the court has put further proceedings on hold, as some affected candidates—who have exceeded the age limit—have obtained a status quo order to protect their rights. Therefore, the recruitment process has not yet started.

He further said that there is already a list for patwari appointments, and recruitment will be carried out accordingly, which is clear and available to the public. No candidate needs to contact any individual regarding this matter.

The Deputy Commissioner emphasized that his office is transparent and said that if anyone has paid money to someone, they should come forward and inform him.

Public circles have expressed concern over the situation and demanded a transparent inquiry into the allegations to uncover the facts and ensure merit in the recruitment process.