May 13, 2006	Saturday	Rabi-us-Sani 14, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, May 12: Outgoing Pakistan Television (PTV) managing director Arshad Khan on Friday said that he had not relinquished the charge of his office as yet, despite having resigned a day before.

He told Dawn that a fake press release had been issued on official letter head and from an official number stating that PTV Academy Director Ashraf Azeem had taken over the charge as acting PTV managing director.

Though Mr Khan, who resigned on Thursday, denied any such development, but the press release issued on behalf of public relations department and Mr Khan’s statement reflected the on- going power struggle in the state run PTV.

It is widely believed that it was very much the same power struggle and unrest among workers that compelled Mr Khan to quit from this coveted position.

Several petitions had been filed by PTV employees against Mr Khan in Federal Service Tribunal and Lahore High Court challenging some key appointments made by him.

Mr Khan is drawing consolation from his own statements before the press that Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz had promised him another lucrative assignment.

Mr Khan said he decided to step down because of two reasons — firstly, he had done enough for PTV during his two-year stay and secondly he wanted to give an opportunity to the new information minister Mohammad Ali Durrani to appoint his own team.