Escalating politics: PML-N mulls replacing K-P governor

Sources confirm the party has selected a possible candidate for the position.

PESHAWAR:

After the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) comprehensive victory on May 11, debates have started over Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Governor Shaukatullah Khan’s replacement.

Almost all of the PML-N stalwarts in K-P – except for Mehtab Ahmad Khan – failed to succeed on the party ticket. Big names, such as central vice president Amir Muqam, central general secretary Iqbal Zafar Jhagra, provincial president Pir Sabir Shah and provincial general secretary Rahmat Salam Khattak, were all ultimately unsuccessful.

In the wake of their failure, some of the PML-N bigwigs will be pushed to senator slots in 2015. Meanwhile, Iqbal Zafar Jhagra is being considered as a replacement for the current K-P governor by PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif, according to a senior PML-N office bearer.

Governor Shaukatullah Khan (affiliated with the Pakistan Peoples Party) replaced former governor Syed Masood Kausar, who resigned on health grounds on February 10, 2013. At the time, Khan was the federal minister for States and Frontier Region.

However, Shaukatullah is destined to have a short tenure if the PML-N brings its plans to fruition after forming a government in the centre.

Rahmat Salam Khattak told The Express Tribune it was too early to discuss the K-P governor’s post, as the party was currently working on the configuration of the federal government. Khattak made some interesting remarks nonetheless.

“It is a must to change the K-P governor to suit the developing political situation,” he maintained. While avoiding a direct reply, Khattak said the party would do the needful in this regard.

Khattak added the president was bound to follow the prime minister’s advice regarding the governor’s appointment.

“We have received information from close party circles in Lahore which claim Nawaz Sharif considers Jhagra the right man for the K-P governor post,” shared another senior party member, wishing to remain anonymous. Iqbal Zafar Jhagra is the central general secretary of the PML-N.

“Several considerations on [the K-P governor replacement] have been taken into account, including acceptance from other stakeholders, party loyalty, tribal affinity and the role of democracy. All these point to Jhagra as a suitable candidate.”

When contacted, Jhagra carefully stated the party’s first priority was the formation of the federal government; it was too early to openly make any move on the issue of K-P’s governorship.

“If there was a need to change the governor, the PML-N would move constitutionally on the issue. As yet, no formal meeting on the issue has been called,” maintained Jhagra.

Despite these remarks, Jhagra confirmed he would accept the position of the K-P governor if it was offered. “Every directive given by Nawaz Sharif would be acceptable to me as an honour.”

Published in The Express Tribune, May 20^th, 2013.