PHC suspends notification of KP Advisers, Special Assistants

PESHAWAR: A bench of Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Thursday suspended the notification of Special Assistants and Advisers of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, ARY News reported.

Provincial Information Minister Shaukat Yousufzai, responding to the court decision said that the high court has declared appointment of advisers and special assistants in provincial government as ‘unconstitutional’.

Yousufzai said that the constitution have room for appointment of five advisers, while the province has appointed three advisers.

“Advisers and special assistants are also running matters in other provinces,” provincial minister said.

The minister said the provincial government was going through the court order.

He said the government was discussing legal aspects of the case with experts and would respond after going through the court’s order and grounds for the court decision.

A two-member bench of PHC comprising Justice Ikram Ullah and Justice Rooh-Ul-Amin heard the case.

It is pertinent to mention here that former deputy speaker provincial assembly Khushdil Khan had filed a writ petition against the appointment of special assistants and advisers.

A notification issued this year notified appointments of Ajmal Wazir, Ziaullah Khan Bangash, and Hamayatullah Khan as provincial advisers and Abdul Karim Khan and Kamran Bangash as special assistants in provincial government.