Zulfi Bukhari's resignation has not been accepted, says aviation minister

Karachi: Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar has said that Zulfi Bukhari's resignation as Special Assistant to Prime Minister Imran Khan on Overseas Pakistanis has not been accepted.

Bukhari will rejoin the federal cabinet after inquiry into the Rawalpindi Ring Road (RRR) project concludes, Sarwar said on Dawn News TV show 'Live with Adil Shahzeb'. The aviation minister further said that the former SAPM got a little emotional and offered his resignation, adding that he is not being investigated for the scam.

In May, Bukhari announced that he resigned from his position over allegations levelled against him in the project scam. "My Prime Minister Imran Khan has always said that if a person has been named rightly or wrongly in any inquiry he should cease to hold any public office till his name has been cleared of charges," he had tweeted.

SAPM Zulfi Bukhari quits over Ring Road scam

He further said that he has nothing to do with Ring Road or any ongoing real estate project, adding that he endorses a judicial inquiry.

While talking about himself, Sarwar said that the PM was satisfied that he had nothing to do with the scam, adding that he has a political attachment to the project as it is of national importance.

Two fact-finding reports revealed that the project had been realigned with the approval of Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar and his finance adviser Dr Salman Shah. The alignment of the 65-kilometre RRR was illegally changed to benefit several private housing projects, the reports revealed.

The Punjab government had decided to send the case to Federal Investigation Agency or the National Accountability Bureau for a thorough investigation. Following this, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz demanded the removal of Bukhari and Sarwar, saying that both got huge financial benefits in the project as their lands were in the project area.