PESHAWAR: Federal Minister for Interior Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said on Thursday that he patched up relations between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak and Chief Secretary Shahzad Arbab, who locked horns over administrative affairs.

During press briefing at the Governor’s House, the interior minister said that he intervened to patch up relations between the two sides though federal government would not interfere in internal matters of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government.

“Being a close friend, I requested Mr Khattak to let Shahzad Arbab continue his job in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and he (Khattak) agreed,” the minister said. He said that Shahzad Arbab was honest and competent officer and had sufficient space in the federal bureaucracy. Mr Khattak is reportedly at odds with the bureaucracy in the province.

Mr Khattak had developed serious differences with the chief secretary and had told media that Mr Arbab, who was handpicked by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chairman Imran Khan, had been relieved. Both Mr Khattak and Mr Arbab were present in the briefing. The minister did not reply when journalists asked him about replacement of Governor Shaukatullah and Inspector General of Police Nasir Durrani. He said that incumbent police chief was brilliant police officer and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif was not ready to relieve him (Durrani). Under the procedure this was federal government’s prerogative to appoint chief secretary and police chief. — Bureau Report