#Punjab’s top minister, the dancer and the bill of £2,200

#Punjab’s top minister, the dancer and the bill of £2,200

LONDON: Punjab Minister for Education, Sports, Tourism, Youth Affairs and Archaeology Rana Mashood Ahmad Khan was stunned this week in London when he was confronted by a Pakistani restaurant owner over a bill of £2,200 from a party in September 2013 where a local Pakistan Muslim League Riaz Malik was amongst the main invited guests.

According to details, Atta-ul-Haq, a member of the UK Pakistan Chamber of Commerce & Industries (UKPCCI) who is also allegedly associated with the controversial Pakistan Achievement Awards, had organised a party at the south West London venue in which several members of the community, including leading local PMLN leaders, were invited for a night of food and fun. The restaurant owner was told not to take booking for that night and it was agreed that he will be paid on the same night for food and the venue booking.

There is no suggestion here that the Punjab minister or the PML-N UK leader was aware of the deal made by the organiser with the restaurant owner but the minister was left shocked when the owner of the restaurant Aniq Malik approached the visiting provincial minister and complained to him that he still waited to receive the payments. A stunned Rana Mashood asked his colleagues around – mainly one of the PML-N leaders who was present at that fun night – but all looked sheepish and embarrassed.

“A cheque was sent to me by the organiser Atta-ul-Haq but that has bounced. The second cheque also bounced. I have a family to look after and bills to pay. What has happened to me is shocking and your must help me if you can as your friend are involved in conning me. The artists were paid upfront but I am being lied to,” went on the agitated restaurateur in the presence of three witnesses.

Separately, the minister was involved at the community level controversies when, on the official visit, he attended private events arranged by his friends without checking the credentials of the individuals and organisations inviting him and preferring to stay out of touch with Pakistan High Commission officials who normally manage schedule of the visiting ministers. A trend has been seen of late in which it has been observed that some ministers prefer operating on their own and don’t like to follow the official business schedule set by Pakistan High Commission, on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

When Pakistan High Commission was asked about it why the provincial minister stayed away from the official business and went on about attending private events, a spokesman said that “the Mission provides facilitation to the Ministers on official visits especially during the immigration at airports and setting up their meetings with their British counterparts/officials”. It can be confirmed that the Punjab minister had not even informed the High Commission about his arrival in the UK and was picked up at the airport by his friends.

A Pakistan High Commission source confirmed that the authorities came to know about his presence only when he had been seen attending private meetings.

The central leadership of the PMLN UK was also kept out of the loop of the minister’s visit and Zubair Gull, the party leader, was not seen at any of these events as one group of the PMLN, led by Riaz Malik, took the minister around to people of his choice. A PMLN spokesman said: “We have a huge problem with our local party. everyone runs his own agenda and they keep waiting for the visit of a minister or dignitary fromPakistan so that they could hang on with him for their own purposes. This must end. Its bringing bad name to our party.”

After Aniq Malik and the party organiser were informed that a story will be published about his allegations of non-payment of the bill, he changed his position and said that he has been paid the bill but failed to produce proof of the payment.

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