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Tale of Kh Asif’s frustration and resignation
ISLAMABAD: Minister for Water and Power Khawaja Asif had offered his resignation to the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in the last cabinet meeting to protest against the interference of Punjab in his ministerial domain. However, the prime minister had asked him to continue.
Sources said that Khawaja Asif had told the prime minister during the cabinet meeting that Punjab is running his ministry through an adviser to the PM and secretary water and power. He complained that major decisions pertaining to his ministry are taken without his knowledge and implemented through the adviser and the secretary water and power.
These sources said that Khawaja Asif told the prime minister that he could not stay as an ineffective and weak minister. He said that if he has been given the portfolio of the Water and Power Ministry then he should also be given the authority to run the ministry in his own fashion. His grievance was that Punjab is running the affairs of his ministry without his knowledge.
Khawaja Asif said that this situation is unacceptable to him and thus he would prefer to quit instead of continuing as a dummy minister. Some federal ministers, including Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and Railway Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique, supported Kh Asif and disapproved the inflated price formula.
They argued that the water and power minister should not be bypassed by anyone, and no major decision should be taken without his information and approval. The sources said that the adviser, who was also present in the cabinet meeting, received rough treatment from some of his cabinet colleagues over the controversial inflated billing issue.
According to a source, the otherwise cool-minded Finance Minister Ishaq Dar also expressed his annoyance with the adviser for causing embarrassment to the government. The adviser was giving a power-point presentation, but Dar reportedly said it is not needed. Minister of State for Water and Power Abid Sher Ali also sided with his minister.
They were of the view that decisions are taken somewhere else without consulting and even informing them but in public they have to receive the brickbats from all and sundry.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif wanted to fix the responsibility of who was behind the inflated billing issue. He was furious as to why this happened and sought a full-fledged inquiry into the matter.
He asked Khawaja Asif to explain the position, being the political head of the Ministry of Water and Power. Here, Khawaja Asif lost his patience and told the prime minister about the mismanaged affairs of his ministry because of too many cooks.
Not only did quite a few ministers c0me to his rescue, but the prime minister also rejected his resignation offer and told him that in case of any grievance, he should directly talk to the premier. It is said that twice before this incident, Khawaja Asif had conveyed his frustration to the prime minister and had even offered to resign. However, each time the prime minister had asked Khawaja Asif to continue.
The Water and Power Ministry has been a case of ‘too many cooks spoil the broth’ from day one of the present government. Although Khawaja Asif was made the minister and Abid Sher Ali his deputy to lead the Water and Power Ministry, not only was an adviser on water and power appointed, but an important personality of Punjab has also been taking keen interest in the ministry’s affairs. Some business tycoons from Punjab and an influential junior VVIP from Lahore have also been informally acting as power experts.
Tale of Kh Asif’s frustration and resignation - thenews.com.pk
ISLAMABAD: Minister for Water and Power Khawaja Asif had offered his resignation to the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in the last cabinet meeting to protest against the interference of Punjab in his ministerial domain. However, the prime minister had asked him to continue.
Sources said that Khawaja Asif had told the prime minister during the cabinet meeting that Punjab is running his ministry through an adviser to the PM and secretary water and power. He complained that major decisions pertaining to his ministry are taken without his knowledge and implemented through the adviser and the secretary water and power.
These sources said that Khawaja Asif told the prime minister that he could not stay as an ineffective and weak minister. He said that if he has been given the portfolio of the Water and Power Ministry then he should also be given the authority to run the ministry in his own fashion. His grievance was that Punjab is running the affairs of his ministry without his knowledge.
Khawaja Asif said that this situation is unacceptable to him and thus he would prefer to quit instead of continuing as a dummy minister. Some federal ministers, including Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and Railway Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique, supported Kh Asif and disapproved the inflated price formula.
They argued that the water and power minister should not be bypassed by anyone, and no major decision should be taken without his information and approval. The sources said that the adviser, who was also present in the cabinet meeting, received rough treatment from some of his cabinet colleagues over the controversial inflated billing issue.
According to a source, the otherwise cool-minded Finance Minister Ishaq Dar also expressed his annoyance with the adviser for causing embarrassment to the government. The adviser was giving a power-point presentation, but Dar reportedly said it is not needed. Minister of State for Water and Power Abid Sher Ali also sided with his minister.
They were of the view that decisions are taken somewhere else without consulting and even informing them but in public they have to receive the brickbats from all and sundry.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif wanted to fix the responsibility of who was behind the inflated billing issue. He was furious as to why this happened and sought a full-fledged inquiry into the matter.
He asked Khawaja Asif to explain the position, being the political head of the Ministry of Water and Power. Here, Khawaja Asif lost his patience and told the prime minister about the mismanaged affairs of his ministry because of too many cooks.
Not only did quite a few ministers c0me to his rescue, but the prime minister also rejected his resignation offer and told him that in case of any grievance, he should directly talk to the premier. It is said that twice before this incident, Khawaja Asif had conveyed his frustration to the prime minister and had even offered to resign. However, each time the prime minister had asked Khawaja Asif to continue.
The Water and Power Ministry has been a case of ‘too many cooks spoil the broth’ from day one of the present government. Although Khawaja Asif was made the minister and Abid Sher Ali his deputy to lead the Water and Power Ministry, not only was an adviser on water and power appointed, but an important personality of Punjab has also been taking keen interest in the ministry’s affairs. Some business tycoons from Punjab and an influential junior VVIP from Lahore have also been informally acting as power experts.
Tale of Kh Asif’s frustration and resignation - thenews.com.pk