Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan resigns as Punjab CM's aide

LAHORE: Special Assistant to the Chief Minister of Punjab on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan has tendered her resignation from the post.

According to Geo News, Dr Awan directly sent her resignation letter to CM Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar, who has duly accepted the resignation.

"Chief Minister has been pleased to accept the enclosed resignation tendered by Ms Firdous Ashiq Awan from the office of Special Assistant to Chief Minister on Information. Further necessary action may be taken accordingly," a statement issued by CM Punjab's Office read.

Reason for resignation 

Speaking during Geo News' programme "Naya Pakistan," Dr Awan said that she had submitted her resignation to Prime Minister Imran Khan for the first time during the by-election in Sialkot because she wanted to contest freely in the election.

However, PM Khan’s disapproval of her resignation led her to keep serving as the Punjab CM Usman Buzdar’s aide.

According to Awan, she had had several discussions on the matter with CM Buzdar, and today, in another meeting in the same context, Buzdar conveyed the PM’s message to her.

"CM Buzdar told me that PM Khan wants to assign me responsibility in the Centre but consultations over the matter are still underway," she said. “I am committed to PM Khan and I will act according to his will,”

When asked if she had been asked to resign, Awan said that she has stepped down from her position voluntarily.

She claimed that the decision will benefit PTI in the best way.

“I left the post for someone who could work for the image-building of the CM in a better way,” said Awan.

It should be recalled that prior to assuming the charge as CM Punjab's aide, Prime Minister Imran Khan had appointed Dr Firdous as the special assistant to the prime minister on information and broadcasting in April 2019. She had replaced Fawad Chaudhry, who at that time was the minister of science and technology.

Dr Awan had begun her mainstream political career in 2002 when she became a Member of the National Assembly of Pakistan on a reserved seat on a PML (Q) ticket. She was re-elected to the NA as a PPP member in 2008 before joining the PTI in 2017.