Islamabad
Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan on Monday sought report on the performance of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) cabinet.
In a statement, the premier has clarified that every leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) whether he is a minister or advisor has to follow party discipline. No compromise on rules and regulations set by the party, he asserted. The reaction came after three provincial ministers of KP including Muhammad Atif Khan, Shahram Khan Tarakzai and Shakeel Ahmad were removed from the provincial cabinet.
A notification issued by K-P Chief Secretary Taj Muhammad stated that the governor exercised his powers under Article 132 read with clause 1 of Article 105 of the Constitution of Pakistan.
“On their de-notification from their respective offices, they have ceased to hold portfolios of provincial ministers with immediate effect.”
Atif held the portfolio of the senior minister for sports, culture and tourism whereas Tarakzai was the health minister and Shakeel held the revenue and estate portfolio.
KP Information Minister Shaukat Yousafzai, while referring to the issue in his talk to the media, revealed that the leaders had opposed the policies set by the government and were involved in the grouping for a long time, including an attempt to form a group within the provincial cabinet.
“There was no support from these ministers in the merger of erstwhile FATA with KP […] merging FATA with the province was a great achievement of Chief Minister Mehmood Khan,” he said, adding that in the former provincial government, these ministers did not maintain good relations with former KP CM Pervez Khattak.–INP
