Bannu WSC CEO resigns under political pressure

PESHAWAR: The PTI's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has forced Water and Sanitation Company (WSC), Bannu, Chief Executive Officer Engineer Tauqeer Hussain Shah, to resign. Shah was called to his office by the secretary Local Government and told that the chief minister wanted his immediate resignation. Local Government Minister Faisal Amin Khan Gandapur told this scribe: "I don't force people to resign. There had been issues between the CEO and the chairman Board of Governors for a few months, so he put up his resignation, which has been forwarded for approval as per procedures.” Shah had been first appointed by the KP cabinet on open merit on May 4, 2016. Later, he was appointed for the second time on open merit on July 1, 2021, for three years.

When Shah was contacted, he confirmed that he had been forced to resign due to political pressure. “I was called by the secretary Local Government on May 23, 2022, to his office in Peshawar, and told that the CM's Office had directed him to obtain my resignation, otherwise I will be sacked.”

“The termination process needed a resolution signed by 75% board members and then approval by the KP cabinet that was not possible legally. The CM asked the secretary Local Government to get my resignation that I submitted accordingly,” Shah said, adding that the resignation was submitted on the same day with a notice period of one week. “Legally, my tenure will be completed in July 2024, but I was forced to leave the office before the expiry of my tenure. I have no other choice but to tender my resignation,” he concluded.

According to sources, there were issues between the CEO and the board chairman who used political influence to get his resignation instead of adopting the legal process. Shah had been working as WSC CEO since May 2016. He had contributed much to the clean and green environment of Bannu. His efforts have been appreciated by the residents of the city.