KP education officers shut offices after secretary–CM aide spat

PESHAWAR: Officials at the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Elementary and Secondary Education Secretariat shut their offices after a verbal spat between Secretary Khalid Khan and Chief Minister’s Special Assistant for Relief Naik Khan Dawar over the posting of a District Education Officer (female), North Waziristan.

The KP education secretariat officers also staged a protest before leaving offices for home.

In an official order, Secretary Khalid Khan said that Naik Khan Dawar forcibly entered his office with armed men to cancel the transfer orders of the female education officer. The order alleged that Dawar and his aides threatened government staff and disrupted official work.

According to the secretary’s order, Dawar and his men occupied his office for half an hour, demanding the cancellation of the transfer order and threatening serious consequences if their demand was not met.

The secretary reported the incident to two senior officials, while all officers at the education secretariat vacated their offices and started working from home.

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The Civil Secretariat Employees Association and PMS Officers also staged a protest inside the KP Civil Secretariat against Dawar’s alleged threats to the education secretary and demanded action against him.

Meanwhile, Special Assistant Dawar issued a statement denying the allegations.

He said the District Education Officer (female), North Waziristan, had been transferred to the education secretariat on August 12, 2025, under a government policy, but the secretary sent her back to Waziristan on September 11, in violation of that policy.

Dawar said that when he sought clarification, the education secretary “behaved inappropriately, refused to meet him and left the office.”

He said that such conduct towards an elected representative was unacceptable.

He further alleged that instead of cooperating, the secretary illegally declared the education secretariat a no-go area and incited the staff to stage a protest.

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Dawar urged KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur to take notice of the secretary’s conduct and withdraw the notification of the DEO’s second transfer to Waziristan.

Meanwhile, the Provincial Management Service Officers’ Association and the Secretariat Employees Association have announced a protest at the Peshawar Civil Secretariat on Tuesday (tomorrow) against Special Assistant Dawar’s behaviour and to express solidarity with the education secretary.