LAHORE - In a dramatic turn of events, Punjab Minister for Prisons Fayyaz-ul-Hassan Chohan was removed on Wednesday as Punjab government’s spokesperson for the third time raising questions about his suitability for the coveted position.
Previously, he was also sacked twice as Punjab’s Information Minister, a portfolio which includes responsibilities as the official spokesperson to the provincial government.
Chohan was appointed as government’s spokesperson in August this year after the resignation of Firdous Ashiq Awan as the Special Assistant to the Chief Minister on Information. Talking to a news channel, Fayyaz Chohan expressed his ignorance about his removal from the position of official spokesperson. He said he was not aware of the development. Chohan saw his first dismissal as Information Minister in March 2019 after his derogatory remarks against a minority community.
But he regained the information portfolio in the same year after nine months. However, he lost this position again in November 2020 to make room for Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan who was appointed as SACM on information.
Strangely enough, Chohan had been successful up to now in making a comeback every time he was removed from his position. Only the time will tell if he manages to bounce back this time.
Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar has appointed Hassan Khawar, his Special Assistant on Information and Special Initiatives, as the new spokesperson for the government. Apart from Chohan, the Chief Minister has already tried Samsam Bukhari and Mian Aslam Iqbal as information ministers and Shahbaz Gill and Firdous Ashiq Awan as official spokespersons in the last three years.