Ex-bureaucrat Azam Khan sworn in caretaker CM of KP
Azam Khan vows to ‘fully cooperate’ with ECP for free and fair elections; despite their tussle, outgoing CM and opposition leader have agreed on Azam’s name; ECP to nominate the caretaker chief minister of Punjab province today
Former bureaucrat Mohammad Azam Khan took oath as the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) caretaker chief minister in a ceremony held in Governor House in Peshawar on Saturday.
KP Governor Haji Ghulam Ali administered the oath to Azam at a simple but impressive ceremony, whose name for the provincial caretaker role was finalised ater consultation between outgoing chief minister Mahmood Khan and leader of the opposition Akram Khan Durrani belonging to the Jamiate Ulemae Islam-fazl (JUI-F) .
Earlier during the day, Governor Haji Ghulam Ali appointed the consensus choice of ruling and opposition parties, and signed the notification for appointing Azam as caretaker chief minister.
The order to this effect reads: “I, HAJI GHULAM ALI, the Governor, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, hereby appoint Mr M. Azam Khan, as the Caretaker Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, in terms of Clause (IA) of the Article 224 of the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan 1973.”
Talking to reporters ater the appointment, Azam vowed to extend “complete cooperation” to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for holding “free and fair elections” in the province.
He said that efforts would be made to further strengthen the security situation in KP and control inflation in the province.
Despite their tussle, Mahmood Khan of the Pakistan Tehrik-e-insaf (PTI) and Akram Durrani belonging to JUI-F have agreed on Azam Khan as the next caretaker chief minister during a meeting on Friday.
Azam Khan (who is not the former principal secretary to ex-prime Minister Imran Khan) is a former bureaucrat. He has been officially notified as the caretaker chief minister.
A leter addressed to KP Governor Haji Ghulam Ali and signed by Mahmood Khan and Akram Durrani stated that they have agreed to nominate Azam Khan ater consultations.
The leter asked the governor to proceed with appointing Azam Khan as the caretaker chief minister. Ater the conclusion of a meeting between the two sides, Durrani told reporters that two names each were proposed by him and the PTI.
Mahmood Khan said both parties agreed on and finalised Azam Khan for the role from five nominees under consideration. Durrani said PTI leader Parvez Khatak played an important role in the meeting. “There is a serious problem of insecurity and inflation in the province. We will not push the nation towards further despair,” he said
The KP Assembly stood dissolved on Wednesday ater the governor signed and approved the chief minister’s summary for the dissolution of the provincial legislature.
The development also comes days ater the dissolution of the Punjab Assembly. However, a caretaker chief minister has not yet been appointed due to the deadlock between the government and the opposition.
Meanwhile, in Punjab ater a parliamentary commitee constituted by the Punjab Assembly speaker failed to build a consensus on a candidate for the slot of the caretaker chief minister, the mater landed in ECP for arbitration. The ECP meets on Sunday to nominate the caretaker chief minister from the four recommended by the two sides.
The six-member commitee with equal representation from the treasury and the opposition had only one day to deliberate upon the nominations made by outgoing chief minister Parvez Elahi and opposition leader Hamza Shehbaz.
Elahi had nominated Cabinet Division Secretary Ahmad Nawaz Sukhera and former Punjab chief secretary Naveed Akram Cheema, while Hamza Shahbaz had proposed the names of prime minister’s special assistant Ahad Cheema, and media house owner Mohsin Naqvi.
As the issue was referred to the ECP, the ruling alliance’s representatives reiterated Elahi’s threat that they would move a court of law if any “controversial person” was selected by the election watchdog from the panel of four nominees.
Azam Khan was educated at the University of Peshawar, following which he went to Lincoln’s Inn, London, to complete his Barrister-at-law degree in 1962. Azam Khan has had a long and bright career as a civil servant in the government of Pakistan.