TWO Special Assistants to Prime Minister on Health and Digital Pakistan – Dr Zafar Mirza and Tania Aidrus announced their resignations through twitter and Prime Minister Imran Khan was quick to accept them. While Tania cited controversy over dual nationality of SAPMs as the reason clouding the purpose of Digital Pakistan for her resignation, Dr. Mirza said he was resigning due to the ongoing negative discussion about the role of [special assistants] and criticism on the [government].
Rumours of all sorts are circulating in the Federal Capital as to what actually happened that led to these resignations, which is also being described as ‘sacking’ by some circles as the two were left with no option but to say goodbye to their posts. Dual nationality issue might not be the motivating force behind the move as there are still some others with similar status working in the Government. Same is true of the issue of unelected people working against influential positions as the tradition still continues. Irrespective of politically motivated debate about induction of unelected people in cabinet positions, professionals and technocrats have been rendering valuable services for the cause of the country in different capacities. There is no harm to appoint a qualified and experienced personality as advisor or special assistant to look after field of his/her specialty if suitably qualified elected people are not available for the purpose. Some people have been doing wonders during their affiliation with multilateral institutions or other foreign entities and decision to utilize their services for the country and their own decision to leave the lucrative jobs to serve Pakistan should be considered as appreciable gestures. However, there should be no compromise on performance, delivery and the issue of corruption and if the resignations have something to do with this criterion, these are welcomed. It is also rightly pointed out by some circles that mere sacking of people guilty of corruption is not enough and in fact, this amounts to giving them clean chit to digest whatever has been amassed as we witnessed in the case of a federal minister who was allegedly involved in multi-billion rupee scandal relating to pricing of medicines. If the opposition can be dragged in accountability courts on notional issues, why not those allegedly involved in major scams.
