Blaming bureaucracy: Khattak’s spokesperson calls it a day

PESHAWAR:

Shiraz Paracha has stepped down from his position as Chief Minister (CM) Pervez Khattak’s media adviser and spokesperson, citing “bureaucratic hurdles” as one of the reasons behind his resignation. Paracha had joined Khattak’s team in July 2013 as his media adviser and spokesperson.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Paracha thanked the chief minister for trusting him, adding, “I will disclose detailed reasons behind my departure at the appropriate time.”

According to the erstwhile spokesperson, “some elements had been unhappy with his induction into the CM’s team.” Even as Paracha acknowledged Khattak’s sincerity as a leader, he was quoted saying, “The absence of effective linkages between different parts of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has created gaps in operational hierarchies.”



This, Paracha said, made it very difficult to achieve set targets.

“The province is a theater of local and foreign wars. We need a proper communication strategy and trained specialists who understand psychological mind-games applied by powerful forces to create fear and instability in Pakistan, particularly in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa,” read the statement.

The statement went on to add: “As a professional communicator and student of psychological-warfare techniques, I wanted to assist the government by launching an intelligent counter-propaganda strategy but I was never allowed to do so.”

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has been going through divisive internal politicking. Most recently, PTI insiders told The Express Tribune that the central leadership has tasked the party’s provincial office bearers to obtain resignations from MPAs who might resist the dissolution of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly. According to PTI MPA Nadia Sher Ali, no one has been asked to step down as yet.

Earlier this year, a pressure group within the party lobbied for the removal of “corrupt” ministers and advisers in the PTI-led K-P government.

On May 3, Minister for Health Shaukat Yousafzai and Adviser to the Chief Minister Yasin Khalil were sacked over “poor performance”.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 3^rd, 2014.