Dost Khosa refuses to take charge

LAHORE: Sirdar Dost Mohammad Khan Khosa has not been attending office, ever since he was made the minister for commerce and investment on June 29.

He continues, however, to enjoy all perks and privileges of his high office.

Khosa is not happy with the decision of the chief minister and considers the change of portfolio “a demotion and humiliation”, a close friend requesting anonymity said.

Sirdar Dost Mohammad Khan Khosa was the provincial minister for Local Government and Community Development and additionally headed the Housing, Urban Development Department and the Public Health Engineering Department and the Environment Protection Department.On June 29, Mian Shahbaz Sharif – after receiving various complaints of corruption and abuse of authority, sources said – reshuffled the departments of four cabinet members including Khosa. All the ministers belonged to the PML-N. The other three cabinet members joined their new assignments the very next day but Mr Khosa refused to take charge. Sources close to Mr Khosa say that after the change of portfolios he went to his native town where he met some old friends to seek their assessment and advice about what he should do next. He also met other politicians who  tried to persuade him to join hands with them in their movement for a separate South Punjab province. On the other hand, his father – Sirdar Zulfiqar Ali Khan Khosa – who the senior adviser to the chief minister, arranged a breakfast meeting with Shahbaz Shairf in a bid to redress the former chief minister’s grievances.

During the meeting, Dost Mohammad Khan Khosa demanded that he be given back his old portfolio. If that was not possible, he reportedly incdicated, he wanted the Health Department in addition to Commerce and Investment.

Khosa rejected the allegations of abuse of authority and corruption and declared the complaints “a pack of lies” meant only to destroy his credibility and “create a gulf in the party leadership”.

He also told the chief minister that the provincial bureaucracy was not co-operating with the lawmakers monitoring and supervising various public welfare projects. The telephone operator at Khosa’s new office told The Express Tribune that he had not been coming to office ever since his portfolio was changed. The name plate of his predecessor still adorns the office door. When contacted, Dost Muhammad Khan Khosa confirmed that he had not been to his new office. He said, “I am in Sargodha to supervise the party’s by-election campaign on the direction of the chief minister. I will speak to you in details when I return to Lahore.”

Published in The Express Tribune, July 21^st, 2010.