KNZ NEWS DESK
Government takes serious note of officer’s abusive language; Shafqat Khan sent packing to his Health Department
SRINAGAR: Mehbooba Mufti government on Tuesday took a serious note of an officer’s abusive language against a journalist and removed him unceremoniously from the prime posting of Commissioner Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC).Government Order No: 1359-GAD of 2017 Dated October 24, 2017 said that Riyaz Ahmad Wani, KAS, Director Urban Local Bodies Kashmir is transferred and posted as Commissioner Srinagar Municipal Corporation, relieving Dr Shafqat Khan, Health Officer Srinagar Municipal Corporation of the additional charge.
“Dr Shafqat Khan, Health Officer Srinagar Municipal Corporation is repatriated to the Health and Medical Education Department, for further posting”.
Even as the Order issued “in the interest of administration” did not mention a specific reason of Khan’s unceremonious exit, well-placed sources maintained that top echelons of the Government took serious note of the officer having used abusive language against a Srinagar-based journalist and called him repeatedly ‘haraamzada’ (bastard) in a telephonic conversation with Gulistan News TV’s reporter-anchor Sanam Aijaz.
The conversation recorded by the TV reporter is in circulation in social media across Jammu and Kashmir. The TV reporter had called Dr Khan and sought his comment to a journalist’s Facebook post in which he had alleged that incharge Commissioner of SMC had taken Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti to an official function on October 2 (Gandhi Jayanti) and made her distribute “fraud cheques” among SMC’s sweepers.
Rather than giving an explanation, Dr Khan is heard levelling serious allegations against the journalist, calling him a failure and alleging that he had shut the doors of his office on the mediaperson as he had been taking money from SMC.The officer is heard repeatedly calling the journalist ‘haraamzada’ and threatening to teach him a lesson.
People on WhatsApp groups and Facebook reacted angrily and raised questions how a junior doctor had been appointed as “Commissioner” of SMC—a position held in the past by senior IAS and KAS officers. Many of them alleged that he had been promoted and patronised on account of his proximity to Chief Minister’s brother Tassaduq Mufti.
Sources said that both Chief Minister and her brother took exception to Dr Khan’s behaviour and communicated to bureaucracy that he should be removed immediately and repatriated to his parent department of Health and Medical Education.
Working as Health Officer in SMC with a couple of breaks for about 20 years, Dr Khan had been temporarily given additional charge of Commissioner SMC on February 9 this year. However, his appointment raised many eyebrows within two senior officers of SMC and entire fraternity of Kashmir Administrative Service (KAS) officers whose delegations met Chief Minister and complained that junior officers’ appointment on KAS and IAS cadre posts would demoralise all ranks in civil administration and bureaucracy.
Chief Minister assured them on at least two occasions that suitable incumbents would be posted on all these temporarily held positions. She made it clear that it was just a “stop gap arrangement”. However, Dr Khan was not touched in around a dozen major reshuffles in civil administration and bureaucracy in the last 9 months. KAS officers had been complaining that the junior official had been projecting himself as the “right hand man” of CM’s brother Tassaduq Mufti.
Meanwhile, official sources revealed to STATE TIMES that the Government would refer the matter of allegedly “fraud cheques” distributed through Chief Minister at an official function on October 2, to Crime Branch for a detailed enquiry and verification.
