Zulfi Bukhari denies having submitted resignation

Says his case is different from other two PTI ministers

ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to Prime Minister for Overseas Pakistanis Zulfi Bukhari has said he has not tendered his resignation to Prime Minister Imran Khan as neither is he nominated in any corruption reference nor he is accused of theft.

“My case is different from the ministers who have resigned,” Bukhari told media on Friday in reference to Azam Swati and Babar Awan who have had to step down within months after the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government came to power.

“My case is that of dual nationality, not of any theft. The Supreme Court will decide this matter,” he said, adding that his name may be placed on the Exit Control List (ECL).



Earlier, Bukhari had an altercation with Senator Sassui Palijo during a committee meeting on the issue of a Pakistani man imprisoned in Saudi Arabia due to his alleged involvement in a road accident.

He said he is not moved by an individual case. “I am answerable to the people. Pakistanis living abroad in unfavourable conditions are my priority, not the criminals,” he said.

“We cannot interfere in the law of another country for release of persons. Two cases become important because they come up in the Senate committee,” he said.



Palijo said: “It is not right to say that there are thousands of such cases. The relevant ministry is bound to respond to a calling attention notice. You said this is not a relevant forum which is not true.”

Bukhari denied having said that but later tendered an apology.

He said the government is trying to get those people who lost their jobs in Saudi Arabia find jobs in Korea or Qatar. The ministry has established a labour mechanism cell consisting of five members, which will visit countries including Korea and Qatar to get Pakistani labour find jobs abroad, he added.