KP minister sees red over chair ‘denial’

PESHAWAR: In an unusual incident, a red-faced caretaker minster Khyber Pakhtunkhwa held a presser against his secretary because the later excused to vacate his chair for the minister.

According to details, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s caretaker Information Minister Mian Feroz Shah on Wednesday made a surprise visit to the office of the secretary information where a meeting was underway. The minister demanded to sit on the secretary's chair but the secretary excused to give his chair and requested him to sit on the couch.

Irked by the refusal of the secretary to vacate his chair for him, Minister Feroze Shah went to the additional secretary room and sought his chair but the additional secretary also refused to vacate his chair for the minister.

Failing to get the chair from top-notch officers of his ministry, the disgruntled information minister KP held an emergency presser and shared the ordeal with the journalists, saying that he had gone to the secretary's office to get information about the vehicles used by the caretaker cabinet.

“Being the minister, I asked to sit on secretary’s chair but he bluntly refused,” said Feroze Shah, adding, “The secretary of my department refused to give me his chair and asked me to sit on another chair. Besides, I was also not provided the information regarding vehicles.”

Feroz Jamal Shah claimed that he had spent several hours but the secretary did not provide the information. Later, he went to the DG office, who also failed to provide him the information.

“I have written a letter to the chief secretary that my secretary is not obeying my orders,” said the information minister KP, adding that he had also asked the chief secretary to terminate the media influencers.

Meanwhile, the officers and officials of the information department also expressed concern over the inappropriate behavior of the caretaker minister and requested the governor and chief minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to take cognizance of the matter.