3-member committee to probe Wazir’s tape
The provincial chief executive has formed a three-member committee to ascertain facts surrounding an audiotape, in which the ousted provincial aide on information was allegedly heard involved in corruption.
Set up by Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Chief Minister Mahmood Khan, the fact-finding committee, will be headed by Sahibzada Saeed Ahmed and include a retired judge and a retired basic pay scale (BPS) grade 20 police officer.
It will ascertain whether to refer the case to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) or the anti-corruption establishment.
Once the committee is endorsed by the provincial cabinet, it will formally begin its work. The audio clip and its emergence at this time have been attributed to internal rifts within the provincial government led by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), leading to the ouster of Adviser to the Chief Minister on Information Ajmal Wazir from the government.
Per the audio clip, Wazir allegedly received kickbacks from an advertising agency to approve a contract.
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Sources in the PTI term the audiotape a plot against a party stalwart who has defended the ruling PTI at every forum.
His ouster has caused immense loss to the cause of PTI, they added, noting that the party is already divided after the removal of prominent members in former ministers Atif Khan, Shahram Khan Tarakai and Shakeel Ahmed earlier this year.
With efforts from K-P Governor Shah Farman, the rifts were mended to some extent as Tarakai returned to Mahmood’s camp.
Meanwhile, Wazir has alleged that the clip in question seems to have edited together what he said at different times in separate meetings and discussions.
Moreover, a probe by the information department has already presented its preliminary report which cleared Wazir of any wrongdoing.
The report said that seven agencies had expressed interest in getting the advertisement but the decision to award one agency was taken unanimously on merit, per government procedure and the law.
Conspiracy at play
They said the groupings in the party had started before the 2013 elections when the two strong contenders, Asad Qasier –the incumbent National Assembly Speaker and Defence Minister Pervez Khattak - contested for the party’s provincial presidentship and general secretary position.
Qasier beat Khattak in PTI’s intra-party election and Shaukat Yousafzai was elected as the general secretary of the party.
Despite his defeat, Khattak was appointed as the central general secretary of the party.
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Party sources say that the incumbent chief minister is bearing the brunt of the same party rifts which emerged when Khattak was the chief minister.
The sources said that Wazir’s removal and the leaked audio clips should not be seen in isolation, asking how could a non-elected member of the party, who has good terms at provincial level and approach to the PM, be removed without a wider conspiracy at play.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 15th, 2020.