PTA Chairman Faces Senate Wrath After 'Charas' Remarks
- Abeera Marium Siddiqui
- May 22, 2025
- 3:59 pm
- 40
- Trending
The PTA chairman controversy erupted this week in the Senate after a heated exchange between PTA Chairman Major General (retd) Hafeezur Rehman and Senator Aimal Wali Khan.
During a meeting of the Senate Functional Committee on Problems of Less Developed Areas, the situation turned tense. The PTA chairman sarcastically asked Senator Aimal if he had smoked charas (hashish) after stepping out for a few minutes. The remark triggered an angry response.
Senator Aimal, who leads the Awami National Party (ANP), reacted sharply. “Who gave you the right to accuse an elected representative of using drugs?” he asked. He then added, “This is completely unacceptable conduct.” He demanded strict action against the PTA chairman.
Committee Chairman Senator Agha Shahzaib Durrani strongly condemned the behavior. He said, “The PTA chairman has disrespected not just Senator Aimal, but this entire committee.” He promised to raise the matter with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. He also instructed the IT Secretary to take formal notice.
The PTA chairman controversy deepened when Senator Aimal rejected the chairman’s apology. “If you use drugs or alcohol, you end up saying things like this,” he said. He then told the committee, “Either he leaves the meeting, or I do.”
The PTA chairman eventually walked out of the session.
Earlier in the meeting, Senator Aimal had already raised concerns about poor telecom services in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He said billions spent through the Universal Service Fund showed no results on the ground. “It’s almost impossible to make phone calls in Kurram, Chitral, Swat, Swabi, and Buner,” he pointed out. He demanded full written reports in the next session.
As the situation gained attention, Senate Chairman Yousaf Raza Gilani referred the case to the Senate Privileges Committee. The ANP also submitted a privilege motion in the Senate. They demanded strong disciplinary action.
ANP spokesperson Ihsanullah later told the media, “The PTA chairman’s behavior is intolerable.” He said the matter had been brought to the Prime Minister’s notice. “We will go to any extent to ensure accountability,” he added.
The ANP also called for the chairman’s immediate removal. The party claimed that Hafeezur Rehman lacked basic knowledge of telecom issues. He failed to respond to Senator Aimal’s questions during the committee meeting. The spokesperson said the PTA chairman seemed careless and unfit to lead any federal department.
The PTA chairman controversy has now sparked a wider call for reform in the telecom sector and strict action against officials who fail to meet basic standards.
