Days after the prime minister’s visit to the University of Turbat, the Balochistan chief secretary has written a letter to the Makran commissioner, asking him to explain “the shortcomings” observed during the visit of PM Imran Khan.
The letter that has been circulating on social media has been shared by many, including Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) chief Akhtar Mengal as well, who sarcastically captioned it ‘viceregal’ attitude of the centre.
The chief secretary asked the commissioner — who was supposed to supervise the arrangements — to explain why “each and every detailed instructions passed on to you” were not carried out in “letter and spirit”.
It says the PM was served soft drinks that were not “properly chilled” and the plates that were used to serve food to the PM and his entourage were also of “low quality”. The sweeping staff was also reportedly inefficient as the “pathways and washrooms remained dirty” despite instructions.
The commissioner was also asked to explain the unavailability of a “qualified person” to handle the operating system “complications” during the presentation. Also, there was no “spare laptop” in the meeting room.
Furthermore, the chief secretary office was also not pleased with the fact that the CS’s chair was not “marked” in the auditorium where the PM interacted with “notables” while the CS was made to sit at the “extreme corner of the first row”, as per the letter. “The seating arrangement for the administrative secretaries to the government of Balochistan was neither marked nor were they were invited in the auditorium,” it added.
Moreover, there was also complaints about the Turbat’s DC and SSP, who allegedly violated protocol by “walking too close to the PM”. “The SSP Turbat consistently tried to engage the PM in chit chat,” the letter mentioned, seeking a response on the above-mentioned “shortcomings” from the commissioner within 7 days.
On Friday, PM Imran Khan visited Turbat district to inaugurate development projects in the city. During the visit, the PM also went to Turbat University.
The Current approached the PM’s focal person on digital media, Dr Arslan Khalid for the confirmation of this letter. According to Dr Khalid, the prime minister has nothing to do with the letter. He said it was a matter of the provincial government. Sources in the provincial government also confirmed the veracity of the letter, saying it was issued by the office of the chief secretary.
