Ajmal Wazir removed as KP CM's adviser on information

Adviser to the KP Chief Minister on Information Ajmal Wazir was removed from his post, Geo News reported on Saturday.

According to a notification from the provincial government, Kamran Khan Bangash has been given the additional charge of the portfolio of Information and Public Relations in addition to his office of special assistant to the chief minister on Local Government, Elections and Rural Development.

Another notification said Wazir was removed from his post over allegations of accepting a commission in a leaked audio recording. An inquiry into the allegations into the leaked audiotape has been ordered by the KP chief minister.

“Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has desired to process a case for a fact-finding inquiry into the recently surfaced audiotape of Ajmal Khan Wazir, former advisor to the chief minister for information and public relation,” the notification read.

Wazir was appointed as the adviser to the chief minister for information earlier this year. Wazir, who belongs to Shakai valley in South Waziristan, had joined the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf just before the July 2018 general election. He was earlier a member of the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid and had remained its central vice-president.

Wazir calls it a 'conspiracy'

Later in the day, responding to the development, Wazir said that he had been targeted in a "well-planned conspiracy".

"This is a conspiracy against me. The conspirators have used a vile method to block my way," said the former information adviser.

He said he will face the charges head-on as it is the prime minister's vision to hold anyone and everyone accountable and when there are allegations against someone, they must respond to them.

Wazir said that audio clips from various briefings had been cut and stitched together to produce the fabricated audio clip.

"I have nothing to do with the issue on which I am being criticised," he said.

"The advertisement was for the health department, which is chaired by the health minister. I was an honorary member of the committee and I had no authority to make a decision."

‘PM keeping an eye on all ministers’

Meanwhile, Federal Information Minister Senator Shibli Faraz said that the PTI was the only party, which expelled its members from the provincial assembly who violated party policy in Senate elections.

He said that Imran Khan has been struggling against the corrupt system for the last 24 years and there was no place for corrupt elements in the party.

He said that the PM has been keeping an eye on all ministers and anyone involved in malpractices would be taken to task.