K-P governor ousts ministers from apex committee

Forum to have only three permanent members; the governor, CM and corps commander

PESHAWAR: Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Governor Shah Farman has ousted all four ministers from the apex committee and taken over its charge once again.

The move follows a dispute over who was in-charge of the body – the chief minister as chief executive of the province or the governor as representative of the federation.

“As far as Apex Committee is concerned, I am the head,” Governor Farman said in reply to a request for comment on the situation. Now the committee which was formed for taking the most important decisions in K-P will have only three members, the governor,
the chief minister and the Peshawar corps commander. The meetings of the committee will continue to take place at the Governor House.

“Including provincial ministers on apex committee changed the situation. As a governor, I cannot preside a meeting of ministers – this is the prerogative of the chief minister,” Governor Farman said. “The inclusion of ministers had changed the nature of the committee. This is the reason why one of the meetings had to be shifted to the CM secretariat,” he told Daily Express.

The Apex Committee will have only three permanent members - the governor, CM and the corps commander.

The committee can also invite whosoever it wishes to attend the meeting whether they are ministers or government officers, Farman said. He said that a separate setup has been formed for the tribal districts at the provincial government level which includes representatives of the security forces. The CM will monitor the forum himself, he added.

He maintained that the Apex Committee is the highest body to take decisions in the province. Important decisions related to the affairs of the provincial and tribal districts will be taken from this forum. He said that he represents the federation in the decisions taken in Apex Committee, the CM represents the provincial government and the corps commander Peshawar represents the security forces. He said that including the provincial ministers in the apex committee was not appropriate because the forum of ministers is the cabinet where all ministers take decision with consultation. The provincial government adopts the decisions of the cabinet meeting presided by the CM.

He said that being a representative of the federation, his responsibilities were outlined in the constitution of Pakistan and he will dispense his role in light of the constitution which will not give rise to any controversy. “A huge challenge is faced in the form of tribal districts for which we have to work day and night,” Farman said. He said that they were working to provide a bright future to the locals in tribal districts and to solve their issues.