K-P Governor Sardar Mehtab steps down

PESHAWAR/ ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has accepted the resignation of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Governor Sardar Mehtab Ahmad Khan, who plans on contesting the next general elections.  He is likely to vacate the Governor House today (Tuesday).

The prime minister was initially reluctant to accept the resignation, according to an official at his office. However, Mehtab convinced the prime minister, saying that he wanted to contest the next general elections and he wouldn’t be able to do that if he continued in the office.

Constitutionally, a provincial governor has to wait for two years after his retirement to run for a public office. If Mehtab doesn’t steps down now, he will be barred from contesting the 2018 elections.

The prime minister gave a patient ear to Mehtab and then accepted his resignation. The same was subsequently forwarded to President Mamnoon Hussain for final approval. Premier Nawaz and Mehtab decided start a headhunt for a new governor, according to the official.

Sources said the names of Lt Gen (retd) Tariq Khan Betani, Major (retd) Amir, Lt Gen (retd) Salahuddin Tirmizi, Pir Sabir Shah, and Senator Iqbal Zaffar Jhagra are being considered for the office.

However, a senior politician told The Express Tribune that Major (retd) Amir was the most likely choice. “By appointing Major (retd) Amir, the prime minister can satisfy many demands of people,” he added.

Mehtab, a senior leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and close confidante of the prime minister, had lost the last general elections from his National Assembly constituency NA-17 (Abbottabad-I) in K-P. Although Mehtab won a provincial assembly seat, PK-45 (Abbottabad-II), his party could not win a simple majority to form government in the province.

Mehtab was sworn in as K-P’s governor on April 15, 2014. Soon after assuming office, he started working on FATA reforms which could not materialise. For this purpose, he also constituted a commission which was withdrawn after some time without any explanation.

Talking to the media on Monday, Mehtab said he decided to resign due to his health condition and increasing political engagements.

He added that he had already vacated the Governor House because of the ongoing renovations there.

While Mehtab said he wanted to resign so he could participate more actively in politics, insiders claim he was experiencing hurdles in exercising his powers.

Mehtab also visited the K-P Frontier Corps (FC) headquarters in Fort Balahassar, Peshawar, on Monday and met with acting IGFC Brigadier Qaiser. Matters of mutual interest with particular reference to temporarily displaced persons (TDPs) and the situation in the region were discussed.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 9^th, 2016.