Imran tasks KP minister with reporting on cabinet performance

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Communication and Works Shakeel Ahmad has said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan has tasked him with preparing monthly reports on the performance of ministries and departments in the province.

Flanked by Adviser to Chief Minister for Information Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif, the minister told a press conference that the PTI founder had received information about the alleged corruption in some ministries and had summoned him to convey the party’s zero-tolerance stance on corruption.

The minister explained that Imran Khan had received information about corruption and irregularities in some ministries and departments. “The PTI founding chairman directed me to hold a press conference at the Peshawar Press Club to send a clear message to the cabinet members and administrative officials about the zero-tolerance policy on corruption,” he added.He said Imran Khan had instructed him that action would be taken against ministers and departmental heads if allegations of corruption were proven.

Shakeel Ahmad emphasized that administrative secretaries and bureaucracy were accountable to the public and that he would submit monthly performance reports about provincial departments to Imran Khan.

He added that Imran Khan would summon other ministers as well but hastened to add that the PTI founder had confidence in Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur.Shakeel Ahmad asked those making allegations of corruption against public representatives and officials to provide evidence supporting their claims. He defended the removal of his Communication and Works Department’s secretary, citing poor working relationships.

The minister claimed that two parallel governments were functioning in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. “One run by Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and the other by non-political forces,” he alleged, without elaborating on his statement.Shakeel Ahmad accused the federal government of non-cooperation and complained that the KP government was not being provided a chief secretary.