PESHAWAR: An alleged audio conversation between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Law Minister Aftab Alam and a worker of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has surfaced, in which the minister appears to distance himself from the decision to stage protests on motorways and other major roads.
In the purported audio, the minister is heard telling the party worker that the call for the protest was neither given by Mahmood Achakzai, chief of the Tehreek-e-Tahaffuz-e-Ayeen-e-Pakistan, nor by KP Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi.
“The chief minister had already clarified a day earlier that Achakzai sahib had not given the call for this protest,” Aftab Alam says in the audio.
“Achakzai sahib himself has also denied issuing such a call,” he adds. Referring to possible legal action, the minister states: “If a High Court decision came, I told the workers that the police would then take action.”
He adds that he has also received calls from the chief secretary and the inspector general of police regarding the situation.
During the exchange, Aftab Alam underscores his support for the protesters, saying, “For five days, we supported the workers. Even today, I have brought food in five cauldrons.”
The worker responds by downplaying the gesture, saying, “Forget about the cauldrons; that is not such a big deal. You are in government.”
Defending himself, the minister replies, “Why is bringing cauldrons of food not important?”
He adds that his monthly salary is Rs170,000 and contrasts it with that of Senator Khurram Zeeshan, who, he claims, receives Rs1.5 million per month. “Has he even brought a small bottle so far?” the minister asks in the audio. The worker counters, “Aftab Bhai, you are a minister; Khurram Zeeshan is not a minister.”
The minister complains that party leaders gather supporters from 20 districts but then blame him in Kohat. The worker retorts: “That is your mistake, why don’t you bring people?” When contacted by Geo News, Law Minister Aftab Alam described the matter as personal and declined to comment further.
