PESHAWAR: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf founder and former prime minister Imran Khan has sent a stern message from his jail cell to members of his party’s government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa that they would be held accountable for corruption and governance issues in their departments.

“I, along with PTI general secretary Omar Ayub Khan, former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser and other leaders, met the PTI founder in Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail on Thursday to discuss our government’s performance and governance issues in the province,” provincial communication and works minister Shakeel Ahmad told a presser on Friday

“He had information that all is not well in some departments, so he asked us to deliver a clear-cut message to cabinet members, administrative secretaries and other government officials that they will be held responsible for any corruption, commission and irregularities in their departments.”

Accompanied by provincial government spokesman Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif, Mr Ahmad said the PTI government in the province had zero tolerance towards corruption.

He said that there were some complaints about administrative and other issues in his department, prompting Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur to remove its secretary on Thursday evening. The minister also said that he was not “comfortable with the axed secretary.”

Sends message from jail they will be answerable for corruption in their departments

He said that the people should come forward if they had evidence of corruption or governance issues in any government department in the province.

“We will submit a monthly report to the PTI founder regarding the performance of government departments in the province. Also, he will hold weekly meetings with all cabinet members of the province and place public complaints about their departments before them for response,” he said.

To a question, the communication and works minister said that the impression that the PTI founder had no trust in the province’s chief minister was false.

He said that Chief Minister Gandapur was the leader of the house in the provincial assembly, enjoyed the complete support of the party’s founder, and regularly met Imran Khan in jail to update him about his government’s policies and actions and seek guidance.

To another question, Mr Ahmad said that currently, “parallel governments” were functioning in the province.

“There is an elected government led by Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, while the other government is run by unelected and non-political people,” he insisted.

He, however, didn’t elaborate on his assertion.

The communication minister also criticised Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government over the “denial of rights” to the province and insisted that it had been four months since the PTI formed the provincial government but the centre continued to refuse the posting of a chief secretary of the PTI government’s choice to the province.

He said that it was one of the basic issues facing the PTI-led government in the province.

On the occasion, Barrister Saif said that Communication and Works Minister Ahmad had highlighted the PTI founder’s directions and provincial government’s stand against corruption. He disclosed that all ministers would meet Imran one by one and ensure early resolution of people’s complaints.

“There won’t be any compromise on our commitment to eliminating corruption and administrative and financial irregularities from the province,” he said.

Published in Dawn, August 3rd, 2024