Sindh Local Government (LG) Minister Agha Siraj Durrani and a close friend of President Asif Ali Zardari, Owais Ahmed alias Tappi, are at loggerheads over the latter’s direct interference in the matters of Sindh government, especially land affairs, Pakistan Today has learnt.
Recently, the influential Tappi with the help of his close friend, Secretary Services Iqbal Durrani, the son-in-law of Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah, issued two separate notifications from the secretary office, authorising the commissioners and deputy commissioners for dealing with finances of district administration in their respective areas.
Well-placed sources told Pakistan Today that the LG minister deals with all the departmental affairs himself, even the transfer and postings of the officials, but has been made powerless before the government officials through the notification.
According to the Sindh government Rules of Business, a major notification is always issued with the consultation with the chief minister of the minister concerned and the secretary services is bound to follow the instructions.
In this case, however, Iqbal Durrani issued the notification without the consent of the chief minister or the minister concerned and bowed to the orders of his friend Tappi, the sources added.
After hearing the news of transfers of the financial powers from local administration to the commissioners and deputy commissioners, LG minister Durrani approached the chief minister to talk about the matter. “It was surprising for the minister when he came to know that Shah was unaware of the major development,” the sources said.
After all this, the minister issued verbal orders to all district officials to keep their financial powers until the matter is decided by the “higher authorities”.
During the president visit to Karachi a few days ago, Durrani took up the matter with him and lodged a strong protest before Zardari, who had reportedly called up Tappi and instructed him not to interfere in the provincial affairs.
“Tappi is continuing the same with support from the president’s sister Faryal Talpur,” the sources said.
