ECP urges K-P govt to sack caretaker ministers involved in politics

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has raised concerns over the involvement of caretaker ministers in politics and has called upon the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government to take action to rectify the situation.

In a letter addressed to caretaker Chief Minister Muhammad Azam Khan, the ECP highlighted the interference of caretaker ministers, advisors, and special assistants in the political affairs of the province.

The letter specifically mentioned that the appointment of the caretaker cabinet appeared to be influenced by political affiliations, which goes against the principles of neutrality that caretaker setups are expected to maintain during the election period.

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One such example mentioned in the letter was the case of former caretaker minister for transport, Shahid Khattak, who had a political background.

The letter emphasised that such behaviour of caretaker ministers, advisors, special assistants, and others is in violation of the Election Act 2017. To ensure a fair and transparent electoral process, the Election Commission requested the K-P government to remove those involved in politics from their positions.

Jamaat-e-Islami's Inayatul Rehman, while speaking to Express News, also expressed concerns about the caretaker setup, describing it as being aligned with the PDM (Pakistan Democratic Movement). He criticised the caretaker setup, stating that it is involved in corruption and lacks credibility.

The JI leader also expressed skepticism about the future conduct of the caretaker setup.