President approves appointment of Punjab, KP, Balochistan governors

By Javed Aziz Khan

ISLAMABAD/PESHAWAR: President Asif Ali Zardari has approved the appointment of governors of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

Sardar Saleem Haider Khan has been approved as Governor of Punjab, Faisal Karim Kundi as Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Jafar Khan Mandokhel has been approved as governor of Balochistan.

According to an announcement of the Aiwan-e-Sadr on Saturday, the approvals have been accorded under Article 101(1) of the Constitution. Later, after the approval of designation of Faisal Karim Kundi, the Cabinet Division issued the order for the swearing-in ceremony of Faisal Karim Kundi.

Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has picked Sardar Saleem Haider for the post of Governor Punjab and former Deputy Speaker National Assembly Faisal Karim Kundi as the PPP nominees for the Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. While the PMLN has picked Jafar Khan Mandokhel as Governor Balochistan. As per an agreement between the PPP and PMLN, the PPP would appoint the governors for Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa while PMLN would appoint governors of Sindh and Balochistan. The post of speaker National Assembly is for the PMLN and deputy speaker National Assembly for PPP, chairman Senate for PPP and deputy chairman Senate for PMLN.

While on Saturday, after the designation as Governors of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sardar Salim Haider and Faisal Karim Kundi called on PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari separately. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari congratulated Sardar Saleem Haider on designation as Governor Punjab and Faisal Karim Kundi on being designated as Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Sardar Salim Haider and Faisal Karim Kundi expressed gratitude to PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari for reposing confidence in them. “I hope that as Governors Faisal Karim Kundi and Sardar Salim Haider will represent the Federation in a better way,” said Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) Faisal Karim Kundi on Saturday took oath as the 35th governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Peshawar High Court Chief Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim administered the oath to him at the Governor’s House.

Former prime minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Federal Minister Amir Muqam, Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti, senior officials and other dignitaries attended the oath-taking ceremony. The nomination of Faisal Karim Kundi was announced by PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari late Friday night through a tweet. Faisal Karim Kundi belonging to the remote Dera Ismail Khan district has served as deputy speaker of the National Assembly.

With his appointment, two rival politicians from Dera Ismail Khan district have become neighbours in the provincial capital by occupying the top two slots of the province. Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur also hails from Dera Ismail Khan. The new KP governor contested the general election against Ali Amin Gandapur from NA-44 during the February 8 general elections. The other runner-up was chief of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Maulana Fazlur Rehman.

Ali Amin, who had won both the national and provincial assembly seats, later vacated NA-44 after becoming the chief minister. His brother Faisal Amin was elected in the by-poll.

The new governor has been critical of the provincial government led by Ali Amin Gandapur for many of its policies. He criticized the government on social media and mainstream media in recent weeks. The PPP picked Faisal Karim for the job after many politicians were considered for the office.

“The Pakistan Peoples Party has nominated Faisal Karim Kundi as Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sardar Saleem Haider Khan as Governor Punjab. I am confident they will perform their duties with dignity. I wish them both the best of luck,” tweeted Bilawal on Friday. Under the power-sharing formula between the Pakistan Peoples Party and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, the former was to get the slots of governor in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab.

The outgoing governor Ghulam Ali of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl served for almost 18 months. He assumed office in November 2022 after the Pakistan Democratic Movement assumed power at the Centre after the no-confidence move against former prime minister Imran Khan.