The Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Haji Ghulam Ali, has accepted the resignations of 14 ministers and 11 advisers and special assistants. This comes as a result of the interim Chief Minister Azam Khan’s instructions for cabinet members to step down, after receiving a letter from the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) regarding politically affiliated individuals in the cabinet.
Former caretaker ministers Shahid Khattak and Adnan Jalil have already resigned from their positions, while other ministers still remain who have expressed their political affiliation in the media, which is in violation of the Election Act 2017.
The ECP had requested the removal of caretaker ministers, advisors, and assistants due to their political associations. The ECP Secretary wrote a letter to the caretaker Chief Minister, expressing concern over the political involvement of these individuals in the government. The letter cited the appointment of caretaker ministers based on their political affiliations as a violation, and mentioned former caretaker minister Shahid Khattak as an example of such an appointment.
In response to these developments, the interim Chief Minister instructed the cabinet members to submit their resignations, leading to the acceptance of resignations by the KP Governor. It remains to be seen how the vacant positions will be filled in the caretaker government of KP.
Overall, this situation highlights the importance of maintaining a neutral and non-political approach in caretaker governments, ensuring fair and transparent elections. The actions taken by the interim Chief Minister and the ECP indicate a commitment to upholding the principles of democracy in the region.