Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry Tuesday said prime minister was the chief executive of the country and the chief minister was chief executive of the province who were answerable to the people, adding that it was the responsibility of the bureaucrats to follow the government’s policies.

Speaking to reporters in Islamabad, the information minister commented on the transfer of Islamabad Inspector General of Police (IGP) Jan Muhammad and said, “There were multiple complaints against him and he was not cooperative.” The minister of state for interior had already complained to the prime minister that the IGP was not cooperating with him regarding crackdown on sale of ice drug in the federal capital’s schools and colleges and even did not attend phone calls, he said.

It is not acceptable that chief secretaries and IGPs do not answer telephones calls of the ministers, he said, adding that it is not an issue of the government and opposition, all legislators represent the people and should be given due respect. “Otherwise, the concept of parliamentary overview will lose its meanings and the country will become an aristocracy ruled by a few bureaucrats,” he said. “A narrative is being spread that if officers do not receive phone calls of the ministers, they will become heroes,” he added.

“What the point of holding elections is if the prime minister cannot suspend a police chief. If the bureaucracy does not do its job, then the prime minister and the chief minister have the authority to transfer them … if the country has to be run through bureaucracy, then elections should not have been conducted,” the minister said. “It is the National Assembly’s job to draft laws and bureaucracy’s job is to implement them,” he upheld. “How is it possible that an IGP does not answer a federal minister’s phone call? It is not acceptable that chief secretaries and IGPs do not answer their phones,” he added.

“The prime minister and chief minister have executive powers which they will use,” the minister asserted. “We respect the Supreme Court and will accept whatever they decide,” he added.

The minister’s comments came a day after the Supreme Court suspended a notification regarding transfer of Islamabad IGP after officials said he was transferred on the verbal orders of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

The IGP was transferred on October 27 after he allegedly refused action on a complaint by Federal Minister Senator Azam Khan Swati’s son regarding an incident at the farmhouse which, the minister claims, led to three of his employees being injured.

About the launch of citizens portal, the minister said so far over 100,000 complaints have been registered online out of which about 50 percent were about Punjab and 20 pc about Sindh. He said by the weekend, the implementation and redrassal status of the complaints would also be uploaded. The portal will help collect data about various departments and officers and help judge their performance, he said.

Fawad said prime minister’s recent visit to Saudi Arabia and his upcoming trip to China would help Pakistan overcome all the economic woes left by the previous regimes. He said the Pakistan Stock Exchange has gained 1450 points due to positive economic indicators and environment for investment and business in Pakistan was conducive now. He said these indicators would also help attract foreign and local investment in different sectors, generating fresh economic activities and creating jobs for our youth. He welcomed China’s statement on the upcoming visit of the prime minister to China starting Friday and said it would help open a new chapter of cooperation with Beijing as a strategic and economic partner.

Published in Daily Times, October 31^st 2018.