President Zardari approves appointments of Punjab, KP and Balochistan governors

ISLAMABAD: In a significant development, President Asif Ali Zardari accorded his approval to the appointment of governors for Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan provinces, ARY News reported on Saturday.  

Following the approval, Sardar Slaeem Haider Khan has been appointed as Governor Punjab, Faisal Karim Kundi as Governor KP and Jaffar Khan Mandokhail as Governor Balochistan.

The president approved the appointments based on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s advice in accordance with Article 101 (1) of the Constitution, said a statement issued by President Secretariat.

صدر مملکت آصف علی زرداری نے پنجاب، خیبر پختونخوا اور بلوچستان کے گورنرز کی تقرری کی منظوری دے دی۔ pic.twitter.com/vfuZY2Kwci

— The President of Pakistan (@PresOfPakistan) May 4, 2024

The development came a day after PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari named two senior party leaders — Sardar Saleem Haider Khan and Faisal Karim Kundi — for the posts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Punjab governors as part of the deal reached with PML-N before joining the coalition government.

Haider had served as a special assistant to the prime minister on overseas Pakistanis and minister of state for defence production. Kundi, a former deputy speaker of the National Assembly, is currently the information secretary of the PPP.

Meanwhile, PM Shehbaz Sharif sent the summary of Jaffar Khan Mandokhail’s appointment to President Zardari after the approval of PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif.

He will replace Malik Abdul Wali Khan Kakar, the BNP-M leader who was appointed to the post in 2022.

After the Feb 8 general elections, the PPP and PML-N agreed on a mechanism to form a government in the Centre. As part of the deal, the PPP, for its support, would get some key constitutional positions.

As per the deal, the posts of president, Senate chairman and National Assembly deputy speaker have already gone to the PPP. The PML-N has also agreed to appoint PPP leaders as governors of two out of four provinces.