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Friday March 29, 2024

Portfolio of Punjab CM’s aide on food changed

By Munawar Hasan
April 28, 2020

LAHORE: The Punjab government has removed Khurram Khan Leghari from the post of special assistant to chief minister on food.

The development was confirmed by Mr Leghari to this scribe. However, he claimed that he still held the post of special assistant to the CM Punjab and only his department had been changed.

According to a notification, issued by the office of the newly-appointed Chief Secretary Punjab Jawwad Rafique Malik, the “chief minister is pleased to assign the functions of Special Education Department to Mr Khurram Khan Leghari, MPA (PP-275), Special Assistant to Chief Minister, relieving him of the functions of the Food Department, with an immediate effect.”

The portfolio of special assistant has been changed by the chief minister while exercising powers under Section 3(2) of the Punjab Special Assistants (Salary, Allowances and Privileges) Ordinance, 2002.

Sources said Leghari was so ineffective in the affairs of provincial Food Department that his name did not figure even once in the inquiry report on wheat, which was ordered by Prime Minister Imran Khan. He never officially involved himself in the department affairs including formulation of policy and was least bothered about execution of the policy, claimed sources. They added the existing state of affairs necessitated handing over the department to an effective parliamentarian and after assigning the food department to Senior Minister Aleem Khan, there was no room for an assistant to the CM in the department. The allegations of interfering in the working of department surfaced following verbal complaints by the Food Department staff were lodged with the higher authorities.

“I myself asked the high-ups for changing my department to Special Education from Food,” Legari told The News without sharing reasons for the move.

When his attention was diverted to some complaints about him involving working of provincial Food Department, he did not directly deny them and replied: “I myself forwarded corruption cases of Food Department to NAB [National Accountability Bureau] for holding an inquiry”, adding that no one else dared to do it till date. To a question about details of such cases, he said he had forwarded cases regarding malpractices of the

Food Department staff deputed in Muzaffargarh and Multan for carrying out an inquiry. He said that when someone is given a responsibility, there was no room for an escape from duty."

Some cases are still under investigation at NAB Multan that had been referred by him, he said and added that he was the person who successfully pointed out those irregularities. .

When Khurram Leghari was again asked about alleged complaints against him from the Food Department, he hastened to add: “I am a kind of person who used to spend money out of my own pocket,” he added. “My family’s third generation is being represented by me in the provincial assembly; so we don’t need such things,” he added.

Leghari said he had complete information about the malpractices in the provincial Food Department and he was preparing a draft over such issues. “I may present such important details to Aleem Khan Sahib,” he said adding that he would meet Punjab Chief Minister Monday (today) afternoon over the issue. “I may present details of the Food Department to the media as well,” he told The News.

Sources said Aleem Khan had recently taken charge of the ministry. He was reviewing the food department's affairs and, if needed, he would take corrective measures at the policy and operational level to ensure transparency in the department in the interest of people.