President Asif Ali Zardari came out in open to defend Information Minister Firdous Ashiq Awan in a recent PPP core committee meeting and snubbed former information minister Qamar Zaman Kaira who had complained against Firdous for “termination of feedback support and talking points” on orders of the information minister.
A source told Pakistan Today on Tuesday that Kaira lodged a complaint with the president against Firdous for disbanding a research and reference cell established in the Ministry of Information for intellectual feedback and support to him.
“Justifying his silence, Kaira said he had no backup support and talking points were not being provided to him. However, the president snubbed Kaira and held him responsible for slackness and not defending the president and the party in response to the opposition’s propaganda.
He also did not buy Kaira’s argument that talking points were not being provided to him, saying if talking points were not being provided to him, he should have developed them for himself and he should actively respond to the opposition’s propaganda as secretary information of the party, the source said.
He said Zardari also told the meeting that the party leaders needed to follow Babar Awan who, after sacrificing his ministry, was still working relentlessly for the cause of the party and was always there to respond strongly to the opposition’s propaganda.
The source said Kaira had complained against Firdous for terminating the contract of Ammara Durrani, a blue-eyed of Kaira who was working as a director, research and reference cell of the Ministry of Information and used to feed Kaira with talking points during his stint as information minister.
“Under Ammara Durrani, the cell used to monitor print and electronic media. Talking points were prepared and sent to Kaira by Durrani, who used to introduce her as strategic communications specialist. However, after taking over as minister, Firdous cancelled her contract and appointed one of her favourites, Aman Azhar, on contract as director of the cell. After this appointment, Aman stopped sending feedback and talking points to Kaira which infuriated Kaira,” added the source.
Another source said the president was actually referring to the lack of interest by Kaira towards his new assignment as information secretary of the party as Kaira rarely visits the party’s central secretariat. “Rather, Kaira seems obsessed with the Prime Minister’s House and always remains present in all functions held at there. The snub to him was to remind him about his job which he was not interested in,” the source added.
During the core committee meeting, the source said that Zardari also expressed displeasure on the maltreatment meted out to former religious minister Hamid Saeed Kazmi, saying that it was unfortunate that the party leaders were being sent behind bars for doing nothing.
Zardari snubs Kaira for showing ‘apathy’ in defending PPP
