Parliamentary Secretary for Petroleum Raja Riaz Wednesday tendered his resignation for what he said not being taken into confidence by his party before being given responsibilities in the Centre.
Raja Riaz, who joined the ruling PTI ahead of the 2018 election, sent his resignation to Prime Minister Imran Khan, stating that he will not be able to continue work as parliamentary secretary for petroleum. He, however, assured to continue as a member of the National Assembly. “I was not taken into confidence while being granted a slot in the Centre. I was not consulted before being appointed as petroleum secretary for petroleum,” he wrote in the resignation.
Raja Riaz started his political career in 1990 and was elected as MPA from Punjab in 1993. Later in 2000, he was elected as a member of Punjab Assembly again. He was elected the third time as a provincial lawmaker in 2008 election from PP-65 Faisalabad. In 2008, the PPP appointed him as the party’s parliamentary leader. Later in 2011, when PPP decided to sit on the opposition benches, he was appointed as opposition leader in Punjab Assembly. He suffered a defeat in the 2013 election. He later joined the PTI and was elected as a lawmaker in the 2018 polls.
Published in Daily Times, December 13th 2018.