PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government on Friday de-notified special assistant to the chief minister for science, technology, and information technology Khalid Latif Khan.

Mr Khalid, a younger brother of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf firebrand leader and MNA Sher Afzal Khan Marwat, was made an aide to the CM in March.

A notification from the administration department read, “In exercise of the powers conferred by Clause 2 of Section 3 of the KP Advisors and Special Assistants to Chief Minister (Appointment) Act 1989, the chief minister was pleased to de-notify Mr. Khalid Latif Khan, special assistant for ST&IT. On his de-notification from the respective office, he has ceased to hold the portfolio of special assistant to the chief minister on ST&IT KP with immediate effect.”

Following the de-notification of Mr Khalid, the rumour mill cranked into action, leading to speculations about the reasons for his sudden exit from the cabinet.

Khalid claims he tendered resignation few days ago after party named his elder brother PAC chief

Sources in the ruling PTI told Dawn that Mr Khalid didn’t have a “known association” with the party, and therefore, many of its workers were not pleased with his induction into the cabinet as an aide to the chief minister.

A PTI insider told Dawn that the grant of cabinet berths to family members of some other senior party leaders also didn’t sit well with workers.

However, another party source claimed that Mr Khalid’s removal from the cabinet was apparently meant to “reduce” the influence of his elder brother in the provincial government.

Two PTI sources claimed that Sher Afzal Marwat was interfering in departmental affairs, and some officials complained to the chief secretary against him.

However, one of those officials denied making that complaint and claimed that his meeting with the Marwat brothers was held in a very cordial atmosphere.

Mr Khalid also took to social media to clarify the circumstances surrounding his de-notification.

In a Facebook post, he said that he tendered his resignation on the day when the PTI finalised the name of his brother, Sher Afzal Marwat, as the chairman of the National Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee.

Mr Khalid said that there were other minor reasons for his resignation as well that he would disclose afterward.

“I submitted my resignation to the chief minister a few days ago. I will continue to serve my electorate without yearning for any designation or high government office,” he wrote in the post.

Mr Khalid also shared his letter of resignation dated April 30 on his Facebook page.

That letter, which was addressed to the chief minister KP, read, “It is submitted that Mr Imran Khan, chairman PTI, has nominated my elder brother Sher Afzal Khan, MNA, as chairman of the PAC, which was a great honour for the Marwat tribe as well as for the PTI workers. Keeping in view that, it is humbly requested that I may kindly be relieved from the post as the special assistant for ST&IT and that that responsibility may kindly be handed over to any other PTI worker.”

When contacted, spokesman for the government Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif said that a reshuffle in the provincial cabinet had been on the cards for some time to “bring in new faces.”

He, however, said that he didn’t know about the alleged interference of Sher Afzal Marwat in the provincial government’s affairs.

Published in Dawn, May 4th, 2024