Parties seek to curb JUI-F dominance

The parties, which are part of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) caretaker government, are ready to sacrifice their members—advisers, special assistants and provincial ministers—in order to end the dominance of the JUI-F, which is practically ruling the province right now.

According to sources in these parties, provincial cabinet members—belonging to the PML-N, the PPP and the ANP—will hand in their resignations as soon as they get the greenlight from K-P Caretaker Chief Minister Azam Khan.

The caretaker cabinet in the K-P comprises members from the ruling parties in the Centre. However, most of the parties complain that their representation in the provincial cabinet is only symbolic and the JUI-F is actually calling the shots.

“Right now the number of ministers, advisers and special assistants in the K-P cabinet who belong to the JUI-F is more than 15. This means that the JUI-F is ruling the province,” said a source.

He said if the caretaker chief minister fires his existing cabinet ministers on the instruction of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and picks a new cabinet then the situation may change. “We will therefore cooperate with the chief minister and our members will resign immediately,” he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 3^rd, 2023.