- PMO issues statement, saying Jogezai’s name was merely recommendation, not final
ISLAMABAD: The Prime Minister Office in a statement issued on Sunday clarified that Dr Ameer Muhammad Khan Jogezai has not been appointed as the next governor of Balochistan and that his name for the post was merely “a recommendation”.
There is no truth in the news reports about the appointment of new Balochistan governor, read the statement, adding that Jogezai’s name was “a recommendation and not a final decision”.
The statement added that in view of “certain evidence” that surfaced recently regarding Jogezai, there has been no further progress on the recommendation.
Much confusion has surrounded the matter ever since Jogezai’s name emerged for the slot of Balochistan governor.
A day earlier, hours after his nomination by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government as the next governor of Balochistan, Dr Jogezai—in a video circulating on social media—had declined to accept the position after media highlighted reports about his alleged involvement in a 2015 corruption inquiry by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
“There is no [truth in] reference or inquiry or an FIR [First Information Report] against me in NAB,” he had insisted, adding that he had decided to not accept the offer for the sake of his as well as Prime Minister Imran Khan’s honour.
However, late Saturday night, Jogezai refuted claims that he had excused himself from taking up the post, an hour after the video clip began circulating on social media.
Jogezai had insisted that his video message was misinterpreted by the media and explained that he has accepted the premier’s offer but intended to take oath after he is cleared of corruption by relevant authorities including the anti-corruption watchdog.
In 2015, the NAB initiated an inquiry against Jogezai – who was then chief executive officer of the Kidney Centre in Quetta.
The accountability watchdog had said that Jogezai was allegedly involved in embezzlement in the procurement of medical equipment and misappropriation of funds released for the Kidney Centre that caused a loss of Rs61 million to the national exchequer. The inquiry is still underway.
A pediatrician by profession, Jogezai has over 30 years of experience in medicine. He has also served as registrar in Quetta’s Bolan Medical College. Jogezai’s elder brother Sardar Gul Mohammad Khan Jogezai has also served as Balochistan governor from 1991 to 1994.
Following the formation of its government at the Centre, the PTI had announced that it would replace all the four governors.
Prime Minister Imran Khan, who is also chairman of the PTI, has nominated Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar as governor of Punjab, and Imran Ismail and Shah Farman as governors of Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, respectively.