KP caretaker cabinet: 20 ministers tender resignations

PESHAWAR: 20 ministers from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) caretaker cabinet have tendered their resignations following the directives of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), ARY News reported on Thursday.

20 KP ministers have sent their resignations to the caretaker chief minister (CM) following the ECP’s directives.

The ministers who stepped down from their positions include Masood Shah, Abdul Haleem Qasuriya, Irshad Qaiser, Muhammad Ali Shah, Hidayatullah, Salma Begum, Riaz Anwar, Pir Haroon Shah, Sheraz Akram, Malik Meher Elahi, Hamid Shah, Bakht Nawaz, Haji Ghufran, Fazal Elahi, Taj Muhammad, Himayatullah, Zafar Mahmood and Rehmat Salam Khattak.

Read: ECP takes notice of caretaker minister’s public meeting address

The election commission had directed the ministers to submit their resignations after disclosure of their political affiliations with different parties.

On July 31, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had asked the caretaker Chief Minister (CM) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) to remove ministers who are involved in politics.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Secretary wrote a letter to the caretaker CM of KP and took notice of the political involvement of caretaker ministers, secretaries and assistants.

The ECP had sought the removal of caretaker ministers, advisors and assistants over ‘political associations’.

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The letter stated ECP has come to know about the appointments of caretaker ministers based on political affiliations and former caretaker minister Shahid Khattak is proof of political appointment.

However, there are still several ministers who have expressed their political affiliation in media which is a violation of the Election Act 2017.

Earlier, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) sought a report from the Election Commissioner of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa regarding the participation and speech of caretaker minister Shahid Khattak in a public meeting.

In a statement, a representative of the ECP said the purpose of report is to assess the situation and decide if any legal action is necessary.

The spokesperson emphasized that it is essential for all incumbent governments to adhere to the law and provide complete cooperation to the commission to ensure fair, transparent, and unbiased elections.