The Beautiful Downtown Peshawar High Court on Wednesday summoned provincial science and technology minister Ayub Ashari over the alleged manhandling of a government official.A bench comprising Chief Justice Dost Mohammad Khan and Justice Mian Fasihul Mulk asked the minister to show up on April 12 and explain his position on the incident.
The summons was issued on a complaint filed with the court's Human Rights Cell by Sanaullah Khan, project director of Early Recovery of Agriculture and Livelihood Project for Malakand, a component of Provincial Disaster Management Authority.
Mr Sanaullah appeared before the court and said he had informed his bosses about the science and technology minister's misconduct but action against him was awaited.
He said on February 25, the minister's personal assistant called him and sought delivery of different fruit samplings prompting him to ask the relevant official to do the needful if rules allowed it.
The officer said the minister later telephoned him but since he was away, conversation couldn't take place to the annoyance of the minister, who, after some days, stormed his office along with his personal assistant, locked the door from inside, hurled abuses on him, slapped across his face and pointed a gun at him.
He said the incident occurred on Saturday and he informed his bosses about it after weekend but to no avail.
The bench observed that if the minister had really acted in that manner, he overstepped his powers and that he shouldn't have behaved in such a manner. Really.