PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Haji Ghulam Ali signed the summary for dissolution of the KP Assembly on Wednesday and a gazette notification to this effect was also issued.

“Consequent upon the acceptance of the advice of Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa [Mahmood Khan], rendered to the Governor of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa [Haji Ghulam Ali] under Clause (1) of Article 112 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Provincial Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa stands dissolved,” read the gazette notification.

On Tuesday night, Chief Minister Mahmood Khan moved the summary for dissolution of the KP Assembly, which was received by the governor secretariat the same day. The summary was signed by the governor on Wednesday morning and at the same time a notification was issued seeking the names from the incumbent chief minister and the opposition leader for the caretaker CM.

The notification issued by the Governor House said: “Since the KP Assem­bly has been dissolved, the provincial cabinet also stands dissolved.” A caretaker chief minister would be appoin­ted by the governor following consultation between CM Mahmood Khan and Leader of the Opposition in the KP Assembly Akram Khan Durrani, it added.

“In terms of Clause (4) of Article 224-A of the Constitution, the incumbent Chief Minister Mahmood Khan should continue to hold office to perform day to day affairs of the province till appointment of the caretaker chief minister,” the notification read.

Another notification issued by the KP Administration Department stated that the ministers, advisers and special assistants to the chief minister have ceased to hold their respective portfolios.

On Wednesday, while talking to media persons, the governor accused the ruling PTI of creating hurdles in the way of process of resolving the country’s economic crisis. “PTI has not been letting us [PDM coalition at the Centre] to fix the economic crisis,” Ghulam Ali said, adding: “I did not waste time in signing the summary [for dissolving the KP Assembly].”

The governor requested the PTI not to further deteriorate [the situation] and end political uncertainty. “CM Khan and Durrani should not waste time and develop consensus on a name [for the caretaker chief minister],” Mr Ali told reporters. “We have to overcome the economic crisis— the main role will be played by the public.”

Soon after singing the summary [for dissolving the KP Assembly] on Tuesday night, the chief minister claimed that the PTI would win the [next] general elections with a two-thirds majority. “We will go for elections in 90 days and will come back with a two-thirds majority, not only in KP but at the Centre as well, and will form our [PTI] government. We will come back on the basis of our performance,” the chief minister said in a video statement.

Following the submission of their resignations from the National Assembly, PTI chairman Imran Khan had at a meeting on Nov 29 last year decided that KP and Punjab assemblies would be dissolved, adding that PTI members from Sindh and Balochistan assemblies would also tender their resignations.

Soon after dissolution of the Punjab Assembly on January 14, CM Mahmood announced that a summary for dissolving the KP Assembly would be moved on Jan 17.

Members of the KP Assembly had taken oath on August 14, 2018.

Published in Dawn, January 19th, 2023