PESHAWAR: A former spokesman and media adviser of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister on Wednesday moved the Peshawar High Court against his ex-boss, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan and some government officials for withholding nine months salary and appointment notification.

In the petition, Mohammad Shiraz Paracha requested the court to declare that he was exploited by denial of salary and withholding of the appointment notification and salary cheques with mala fide intent.

“Through a conspiracy, the period of nine months of his service was reduced to four months, while the Rs0.3 million monthly salary was mitigated to Rs0.2 million without giving any reason.”

The petitioner claimed the chief minister had offered him on July 24, 2013 to join him as spokesman and media adviser and that the offer was based on his merits, including 25 years journalistic experience, which had international recognition.

Paracha insists bureaucracy withheld his salary, appointment notification

He said he used to attend confidential and exclusive meetings of the chief minister and secretariat.

Paracha said he projected plans and policies of the provincial government through local, national and international media.

He said his distinctive credentials were disliked by some bureaucrats, who began raising barriers in the issuance of notification by applying traditional tactics of red-tape.

The petitioner said on repeated insistence of the chief minister, the draft notification of his appointment was prepared and was approved by him.

He said the chief minister took him to Imran Khan along with his educational documents and experience certificates and he, too, approved the appointment.

Paracha said unfortunately, bureaucracy was stronger than political government of the province and that then director (information) Behramand Jan was in fact handling all ministerial authorities as then information minister Shah Farman was alien to the information technology.

He said there was administrative helplessness in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa due to the non-cooperation of local bureaucracy and too much interference of the central leadership of the ruling party.

The petitioner claimed though notification of his appointment existed in ‘mysterious corridors’ of the provincial secretariat, the notification did not reach him as Imran Khan wanted to appoint Najiullah Khattak.

He said the idea of a media cell was conceived and Najiullah was enlisted there when all selection formalities were over and inclusions was not possible.

Paracha alleged that to adjust the ‘unqualified stranger’ in the chief minister’s team as the chief of the media cell, many amendments were made to the selection process; experience people in the information ministry were ousted, and shortlisted to accommodate favourites of Imran Khan.

He claimed the chief minister was a shadow chief executive of the province as all appointments to government positions were made by PTI chief Imran Khan.

The petitioner said he worked as the chief minister’s spokesman for nine months but not a single penny was paid to him though the agreed salary was Rs0.3 million per month.

He said instead of the agreed salary, the then director (information) manoeuvred to persuade then information minister Shah Farman to pay him the four months mitigated salary only.

Paracha said a cheque for a four months labour was approved by the chief minister, the accountant general office and the information department, but he was not paid salary.

He said he decided to resign on May 30, 2014 before he was subjected to the ‘humiliation’ of the media cell appointment by the back door.

The petitioner said though his resignation was not formally accepted, someone was appointed the chief minister’s spokesman or media adviser.

Published in Dawn, August 28th, 2014