Controversy arises over appointment of bureaucrat as DG of Information and Public Relations in KP

Muhammad Faheem

Information Cell Civil Secretariat Peshawar had planned to hold a press conference on Friday at 3:30 PM with the caretaker Information Minister Mian Feroz Jamal Shah Kakakhel. However, shortly before the press conference, the Election Commission sent a letter to the Establishment Department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, granting permission for the transfer of 20 officers. Among these officers was a grade 19 officer, Fazal Hussain from the Revenue department, who had been appointed as Director General of Information and Public Relations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The information minister had decided to attend the briefing.

As the press conference began in the information cell, senior journalist and president of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists Workers Shamim Shahid spoke out against the appointment, stating that it was an act of cruelty and would not be allowed under any circumstances. He argued that the appointment of a bureaucrat to this post was a violation of the rights of the employees of the Information Department.

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Shamim Shahid further stated that the caretaker government had completed its tenure, and therefore had no authority to make such appointments and transfers. He announced that there would be no press conference and no work would be done until this declaration was revoked, and then removed all the microphones lying in front of Feroz Jamal Shah Kaka Khel.

In response to this, the caretaker Information Minister Mian Feroz Jamal Shah Kakakhel claimed that he was completely unaware of this exchange, as the names had been sent by the Establishment Department and he did not even know the appointed officer. He stated that he had made the appointment without knowledge of the officer being appointed. When journalists asked him whether this appointment would be revoked or not, he stated that he did not have the authority to make that decision, so the journalists left the press conference.

The Khyber Union of Journalists expressed concern over the appointment of an outsider to the position of Director General of the Information Department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by the caretaker provincial government. President Nasir Hussain and the cabinet have stated that the caretaker government’s policy of ignoring competent officers of the Information Department is regrettable, and their only mandate should be to hold elections on time.

The Peshawar Press Club President Arshad Aziz Malik and the Cabinet have stated in a joint statement that the position of DG Information is purely technical, professional, and sensitive. They emphasized that the DG Information Department is the media manager of the provincial government, and the media considers pure merit and transparency as the criteria for the appointment to such important positions. They urged the government to prioritize the promotion of qualified employees of the Information Department to such positions, rather than appointing outsiders.

It is noteworthy that the Director General Information and Public Relations Department Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Imdadullah retired on February 7, after which the then Secretary Arshad Khan was given the additional charge of Director General. After his transfer, the position remained vacant for almost two and a half months. On the appointment of a bureaucrat as Director General of Information and Public Relations, the staff of the Directorate of Information went on strike, and all staff members left their work immediately. Two personal assistants, a photographer, two drivers, three deputy messengers, and a sweeper are included in the strike.

In addition, the war of powers in the supervisory cabinet of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has intensified due to the change of the portfolio. The supervisory adviser on health, Dr. Abid Jameel, has resigned.