PTI Federal Minister Azam Swati Resigns

PTI federal minister Azam Swati served his resignation to Prime minster Imran Khan on Thursday.

Swati, who was bearing charge of the Ministry for Science and Technology, is currently being investigated for charges of abuse of power. “To uphold my moral authority, I sent my resignation to the PM [and told him] that I cannot work under these conditions,” Swati said. “Now I will defend my case without any portfolio or authority.” Swati, a minister from the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), is currently facing a case in the Supreme Court. He is accused of influencing the transfer of former Islamabad Inspector General of Police Jan Mohammad. The transfer came after Swati’s son filed a case against a displaced family. On charges of trespassing on the Swati family’s property. 5 persons, including 2 women were arrested for trespassing and assaulting Swati family’s guards. They were released after a day’s detention as police said a settlement had been reached between the minister and the detained family.

IG Islamabad

During this incident the federal minister tried to by-pass the process by directly contacting the IG to register his compliant, who was in Malaysia on official purpose. Allegedly, Swati got the IG transferred for not attending his phone calls. The altercation, coupled with the IG’s transfer, had caught the attention of the media as well as the apex court.

On November 19, the court-formed JIT had held Swati and his employees responsible for the incident that took place at Swati’s farmhouse.

Swati, regarding the IGP’s transfer, had earlier disclosed that the police chief was contacted on his mobile phone. After making 38 calls and he promised action on his complaint against the neighbors. The next day, he had said, the IGP was approached again to get a follow-up and in response he replied: “No one has talked to you yet?” On his attitude, “I lodged complaints with the prime minister, the Senate chairman, leader of the house and the state minister for interior,” the minister had said. While this episode was unfolding, it had appeared that Swati’s family may have been encroaching upon government land, following which the Capital Development Authority had issued Swati’s wife, the owner of the property, a notice to remove encroachments and unauthorised construction from her farmhouse in 15 days.

This is the second resignation from a cabinet member.

Earlier it was Babar Awan, he resign from the post of adviser to PM on parliamentary affairs. It came after the NAB filed a corruption reference over his alleged involvement in inordinate delay in construction of the 525MW Nandipur power plant.

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