PTI expresses concerns over appointment of new KPK governor

PTI information secretary Shafqat Mahmood says Shaukatullah's appointment as KPK governor violates 18th amendment.

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Tuesday expressed serious concerns against the appointment of Engineer Shaukatullah Khan as the new governor of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KPK).

A statement from PTI Information Secretary Shafqat Mahmood released early on Wednesday termed the appointment of KPK's new governor a violation of the 18^thconstitutional amendment.

Mahmood in the statement said that after the 18^thconstitutional amendment, the governor of any province must be a citizen of the same province. The PTI leader claimed that contrary to the provision in the Constitution, Engr Shaukatullah was not a resident of KPK province, instead he hailed from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), hence, his appointment as governor in violation of the law.

The statement further claimed that the appointment of Engr Shaukatullah was controversial since the KPK governor also doubles as the chief executive for FATA and would be responsible for overseeing elections in the region.

“Since Shaukatullah has been a federal minister of the PPP government, his appointment is politically motivated aiming at supporting the ruling party’s candidates in the upcoming polls,” Mahmood was quoted in the press release as saying. He added that a neutral and non-partisan person should beappointed to oversee the election process in FATA.

Mahmood also urged the Chief Election Commissioner Justice (retd) Fakharuddin G Ebrahim to take notice of the appointment of KPK governor and take necessary action in this regard.