PTA Chairman in Hot Water Over Drug Remark to Senator Aimal Wali Khan

A heated exchange erupted during a Senate committee meeting when Awami National Party (ANP) leader Senator Aimal Wali Khan clashed with Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Chairman Hafeez ur Rehman over an alleged remark involving drug use. The controversy began when the PTA chairman sarcastically asked the senator, “Give me one of those hashish cigarettes too,” implying that Senator Aimal was under the influence of drugs. The comment sparked outrage.

Senator Aimal, visibly angered, confronted the Chairman and said, “What’s your problem? How can a government officer accuse me of smoking hashish?” He condemned the remark as unacceptable and disrespectful, especially coming from a senior official.

“This attitude from a public servant is not tolerable. Who gave you the courage to speak like this?” Aimal questioned.

Despite repeated apologies from the PTA Chairman during the session, the senator refused to back down. “It’s not a matter of apology now. I want his resignation,” Aimal stated in a later interview with Samaa TV.

He further announced his plan to make a privileged motion in the Senate against the PTA Chairman. “I will make sure that he is removed from his position. Such behavior cannot go unchecked,” he said.

The incident took place during a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Underdeveloped Areas, chaired by Senator Agha Shahzaib Durrani. As tensions escalated, the PTA Chairman was forced to leave the meeting.

Senator Durrani supported Aimal’s stance, stating, “The words used by the PTA Chairman are not acceptable. He has not just insulted one senator but the entire committee.” He added that the matter would be raised with the Prime Minister and that the Secretary of IT has also been directed to take notice.

“This behavior has no place in a parliamentary meeting. Public servants must maintain decorum,” Durrani emphasized. The committee plans to officially write to the Prime Minister, demanding action against the PTA Chairman.

Speaking to the media, Aimal further said, “These officers are public servants, and we are the public’s representatives. I was taught by my elders to respond strongly when insulted.”

When asked by a reporter why he didn’t accept the Chairman’s repeated apologies, Aimal replied, “I don’t want an apology. I want him to step down.”

He made it clear that he would raise the issue in both the Senate and with the Prime Minister directly. The incident has sparked criticism across political circles, with many calling for stricter conduct guidelines for government officials appearing before parliamentary committees.

The PTA chairman’s comment and the fallout that followed have now turned into a major controversy, putting pressure on the government to take disciplinary action. As the situation unfolds, all eyes are on how the Prime Minister’s office responds to this unprecedented showdown between a public servant and a sitting senator.

Minister Shaza Fatima Defends PTA Chairman, Urges Restraint

Minister of State for IT and Telecom, Shaza Fatima, addressed the issue in a statement, offering support for the PTA Chairman. She said that Chairman Hafeez ur Rehman was an honorable man and that, to her understanding, the remark had been made in a lighter tone, not with malicious intent.

She urged the public not to blow the incident out of proportion and emphasized that there were more pressing issues that deserved national attention. Shaza Fatima stated that it would be better not to give further publicity to moments where people feel humiliated and suggested that the matter should be put to rest.

Legal Notice Served, ANP Worker Demands Rs. 1 Billion in Damages

In a significant legal development, Tanveer Shahzad Advocate, on behalf of ANP loyalist Saleem Bahadar Khan, has served a legal notice to the PTA Chairman. The notice states that during the May 21 committee meeting, the Chairman made defamatory and derogatory remarks against Senator Aimal Wali Khan, falsely suggesting that he was under the influence of narcotics during the session.

According to the notice, these statements were baseless and have severely damaged the senator’s reputation. It further states that the remarks caused emotional distress and offended the sentiments of ANP supporters nationwide. The notice demands a public apology and unconditional retraction of the defamatory statements, to be made through the same forum and publicized in both national and international media.

Additionally, the notice demands a written undertaking from the PTA Chairman that such behavior will not be repeated. If the chairman fails to respond within 15 days, legal proceedings will be initiated, including a defamation suit seeking Rs. 1 billion in damages and a call for his resignation.

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