By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: The ruling coalition on Saturday named new governors for the key provinces of Punjab, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), a key ally in Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s coalition government, nominated party’s senior leaders Saleem Haider Khan and Faisal Karim Kundi for the posts, according to a party statement.
Jaffar Khan Mandokhail, provincial president of the Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), a major partner in the alliance, was appointed as the new governor of Balochistan.
President Asif Ali Zardari approved the appointment of the governors.
The nominations come as part of a power-sharing agreement following the inconclusive national election on February 8, which saw the PPP supporting Sharif’s bid for prime minister in exchange for the presidency, the Senate chairmanship, and other significant constitutional roles, including governorships of two provinces.
In a post on X, PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari congratulated Khan and Kundi, and extended his good wishes to them “I am confident they [Khan and Kundi] will perform their duties with the dignity their new office demands.”
The governors serve as the president’s representatives in the provinces and wield significant constitutional power.
Later in the evening, Kundi took oath as the governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, according to state broadcaster Radio Pakistan.
Kundi, a PPP stalwart, served as Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly from 2008 to 2013. He also served as the Prime Minister’s Adviser in the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government.
Copyright © 2021 Independent Pakistan | All rights reserved
