Seven officials on Usman Buzdar’s security axed

Officials allowed a minister to meet the Punjab CM without appointment

RAWALPINDI:

At least seven officials of the chief minister’s security team were suspended for allowing a provincial minister to meet Chief Minister Usman Buzdar without appointment.

CM Buzdar was at the Punjab House in Islamabad preparing for his meeting with Prime Minister Imran Khan when the unexpected guest dropped by, sources told The Express Tribune.

Sources informed that Punjab Minister for Literacy and Non-Formal Basic Education Raja Rashid Hafeez called on CM Buzdar without appointment. The provincial minister was given clearance by the security staff at the entrance.

Although Buzdar met the minister, he expressed displeasure over the unprofessional conduct of security officials who allowed the former to access him without an appointment.

After a preliminary inquiry, seven security officials including an inspector, an ASI, and personnel of Punjab Special Branch VIP Security were suspended. The Punjab House management as well as the Punjab Police Special Branch have launched separate inquiries into the matter as well.

Sources told The Express Tribune that Punjab Information Minister Fayyazul Hasan Chohan was scheduled to meet CM Buzdar that day.

When Hafeez’s car reached the entry gate, the security staff misconceived it as Chohan’s car after seeing the national flag and green registration plate on it. Further, on the matter, Hafeez said that he learnt about the chief minister’s presence in Islamabad and therefore went to meet him and was unaware of the rest of the issue.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, August 17^th, 2020.