AJK PM slaps officer, but apologises to him later

Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minister Chaudhry Abdul Majeed slapped an officer of Mirpur Development Authority (MDA) for his alleged failure to address public complaints, but the anger backfired on him, after the edgy official threatened to spill the beans and left the place.

The untoward incident took place in the PM’s residence in the lakeside city of Mirpur on Saturday where Imran Shaheen, MDA’s estate officer, had also come along with several other officials to call on Mr Majeed.

While sitting beside the prime minister, Mr Shaheen had to face the anger of the chief executive, infamous for his short-temper, apparently for alleged incompetence and failure to address public complaints.

MDA has long been at the centre of allegations and controversy for mismanagement, favouritism and other unlawful practices in connection with allotments, cancellations and reallotments of plots. 

As Mr Shaheen tried to give some clarifications, much to his perturbation he received a slap from the prime minister.

The unexpected spank infuriated him so much that he remarked that how could he deliver when the prime minister and his sons were involved in corruption, witnesses told this scribe.

In the presence of other officials, the prime minister and Mr Shaheen had words, before the later left the place but not without hurling a threat to spill his guts.

Fearful of the impending disclosures, the prime minister rushed Divisional Commissioner Raja Amjad Pervez Ali and DIG Sardar Gulfraz to make peace with the officer.

According to official sources, it took the duo almost three hours to achieve the goal, following which Mr Shaheen returned to the PM’s residence only to be apologised by him.

“You are like my sons,” the prime minister was quoted as saying to the eggy officer.

According to sources, Mr Shaheen, who belongs to Kotli, is a management group officer with hardly six years service at hand. He was posted to Rawalakot, but employed his connections to get a posting in Mirpur, which is considered to be a very lucrative station by the bureaucracy for being home to hundreds of thousands of British Kashmiris.

...... Tariq Naqash