Rumours of ‘rift’ between K-P governor, caretaker CM

CM House spokesperson terms the reports regarding Azam’s resignation rumours

PESHAWAR/ ISLAMABAD:

Reports regarding the resignation of caretaker Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mohammad Azam Khan over differences with Governor Haji Ghulam Ali were doing the rounds on Monday.

However, the K-P CM House spokesperson termed the reports regarding Azam’s resignation rumours, saying it’s just a propaganda being circulated on social media due to his differences with Governor Ali.

“The governor is biased. It is not possible to conduct a free and fair election with him [on the post],” the spokesperson said quoting caretaker CM Azam.

The reports circulating on social media quoted the chief minister saying: “When the governor has all the power, what is my need.”

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The spokesperson said that there was no truth in the reports about the resignation of the caretaker chief minister, “it is just a rumour”.

Further, reports of differences between the caretaker CM and the chief secretary were also being circulated on social media.

PTI moves SC against K-P governor, ECP

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani on Monday filed a contempt petition against the K-P governor and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for not announcing the date of elections in the province, saying it is a violation the Supreme Court (SC) order.

The petition maintained that the governor “willfully chose to ignore the exalted status of his high constitutional office”, adding that he is “already in breach of his constitutional responsibilities and that he must appoint the date for holding the general election to the K-P Assembly”.

The PTI leader requested the court to initiate judicial proceedings against the governor and “punish him accordingly”.

Ghani also requested the apex court to get its order – announcing the election date – implemented.

“Respondent 1 [K-P governor] is not willing or ready to appoint such date, this Honorable Court may either direct that President or any other suitable functionary to appoint such date for poll or fix the date itself, as has been done in a previous election,” the petition concluded.

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Sixty-two days have passed since the K-P Assembly was dissolved, but the date of the election has not yet been announced. The apex court had also ordered the governor to give the date for polls in the province.

Earlier this month, the Supreme Court announced its verdict after two-day-long proceedings in the case regarding the delay in the announcement of the date for provincial elections in Punjab and K-P.

The apex court ordered that elections in both assemblies should be held in the next 90 days, with the chief justice saying: "Democracy cannot exist without assemblies."