Senior Pakistan bureaucrat in the dock for comparing PTI with Taliban

NEW DELHI: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has ordered an inquiry against a senior joint secretary of the Cabinet Division for posting "objectionable comments" against the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) party on a social media platform, Dawn news reported.

According to a statement of allegations issued by the Establishment Division, officer Hammad Shamimi had posted a comment on a social media page/platform that was tantamount to misconduct under the Civil Servants (Efficiency and Discipline) Rules, 2020. The Establishment Division's notification then goes on to reproduce Shamimi's alleged post in Urdu, in which he had written: "A similarity between the PTI and the Taliban is that both are figuring out how to run the government only after assuming power. And the centre of hope for both of them is Aabpara."

In a separate notification issued by the Establishment Division on Monday, an inquiry has been ordered against Shamimi in light of the said allegations, said the Dawn news reported.

The Establishment Division had on August 25 issued a notification — a copy of which is available with Dawn.com — barring government servants from participating in any media platform except with the permission of the government.

The notification had said that instructions were not intended "to discourage any constructive and positive use of social media by a government organisation for engaging the people to solicit feedback on a government policy, suggestions for improvement in service delivery and resolution of their complaints". "But such an organisation shall maintain their social media platforms continuously or frequently to remove offensive, inappropriate and objectionable remarks." (IANS)

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