In a notable development, President Asif Ali Zardari has given his consent to the appointment of governors for Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), and Balochistan provinces.
Following the president’s approval, Sardar Slaeem Haider Khan has been designated as the Governor of Punjab, Faisal Karim Kundi as the Governor of KP, and Jaffar Khan Mandokhail as the Governor of Balochistan.
The appointments were made based on the advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in accordance with Article 101(1) of the Constitution, as per a statement issued by the President Secretariat.
This development comes after PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari nominated Sardar Saleem Haider Khan and Faisal Karim Kundi for the positions of KP and Punjab governors, respectively, as part of the coalition agreement reached with PML-N.
Sardar Saleem Haider Khan, a former special assistant to the prime minister on overseas Pakistanis and minister of state for defense production, and Faisal Karim Kundi, a former deputy speaker of the National Assembly and current information secretary of the PPP, have been chosen for these roles.
Furthermore, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif forwarded the proposal for Jaffar Khan Mandokhail’s appointment to President Zardari, following the approval of PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif. Mandokhail will replace Malik Abdul Wali Khan Kakar, who assumed the position in 2022.
The agreement between PPP and PML-N, forged after the February 8 general elections, entails a cooperative approach to forming a government at the federal level. As part of this arrangement, the PPP will receive key constitutional positions in exchange for their support, including the presidency, Senate chairmanship, and National Assembly deputy speakership. Additionally, the PML-N has committed to appointing PPP leaders as governors of two provinces.