Belated appointment of CM’s adviser raises eyebrows

PESHAWAR: The quest by the media and general public has continued to find reasons for the appointment of a little-known lady as an adviser to the caretaker chief minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa just 12 days before the general election.

Caretaker Chief Minister retired Justice Dost Muhammad Khan in the exercise of powers conferred upon him by the provisions of the Chief Minister Advisor and Special Assistants (appointment) Act 1989 appointed Asia Khan, wife of Jehangir Khan and a beautician by profession, as his adviser on July 12.

The caretaker chief minister appointed her as his adviser with the portfolios of Social Welfare, Women Empowerment and Development and Education for Special Children and Arts and Culture with the status equal to provincial minister.

The portfolio of Social Welfare, Women Empowerment and Development and Education for Special Children was already being looked after by academician, Prof Dr Sarah Safdar, who had served as chairperson of the Social Work Department of the University of Peshawar.

The newly appointed advisor, Asia Khan, had a week ago accompanied caretaker minister Prof Dr Sarah Safdar during the initial briefing given to her about the department of Social Welfare, Women Empowerment and Development and Education for Special Children.

Dr Sarah Safdar also holds the portfolios of elementary and secondary education, higher education, commerce, archives and libraries and religious and minority affairs.

Asia Khan’s appointment has been picked by all platforms of the social media, where it was reported that she belongs to one of the southern districts of the province. It was revealed that she is a beautician running a beauty salon in the provincial metropolis. The general public and even the mass media is taking up the matter ever since her appointment as an advisor.

They are searching for her résumé to find information about her career to find out if her appointment was justified.

The caretaker government has been criticised for the appointment of the advisor, but it has been strong enough to take the flak for its rather belated decision to appoint her to the job.

To put an end to conjecture once for all and do away with an opinion or conclusion formed on the basis of incomplete information about her appointment, The News contacted Asia Khan on Monday to seek information about her career, past undertakings as well as the reason for her “hurried” appointment. She promised to email the information to The News at the earliest.

However, she did not provide the requested information.