Opposition questions status of KP cabinet

PESHAWAR: Opposition members in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Monday questioned the status of the provincial cabinet and said the number of ministers shall not exceed 15 under the 18th Amendment.

On a point of order, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) parliamentary party leader Ahmad Karim Kundi said the notification about giving the status of provincial minister to Adviser to Chief Minister on Finance Muzzammil Aslam was unconstitutional given the 18th Amendment to the Constitution.

He argued that the total number of provincial ministers, including chief minister, should be 16 but this had risen to 17. “The inclusion of extra minister would make the entire cabinet controversial and can cause trouble for the provincial minister to attend important meetings in Islamabad,” he said

He added the law minister or the advocate general must explain the status of the provincial cabinet. Minister for Law Aftab Alam said he would discuss this matter with the advocate general to check whether or not giving status of a provincial minister to an adviser or special assistant affected the formation of the cabinet.

He said the PTI had great respect for the Constitution, rules and regulations but unfortunately, the ruling parties in the federal government had taken steps against the Constitution and democracy in the recent past. Former speaker of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani said the prime minister or chief minister of a province had the right to give the status of provincial minister. He said that a person after taking oath as minister would be considered a full-fledged minister.

However, Ahmad Karim Kundi replied that an unelected person can remain minister for six months and under the rules a summary would be sent to the governor and after his approval a notification could be issued.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly also passed a resolution asking the provincial government to introduce Seerat-un-Nabi (peace be upon him) as a compulsory subject in schools and colleges.

The resolution was tabled by PTI MPA from Mardan Abdul Subhan, saying that the subject must be taught from primary to university level. The Seerat-un-Nabi should be taught in coaching academies, training centres and other courses in the province, the resolution stated.

Another resolution presented by Mushtaq Ghani was also passed unanimously. It asked the provincial government to build a motorway to directly link the Hazara division with the Swabi district.

The mover said that the Hazara division was linked with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa via Shangla and Swabi districts but due to the blockade or closure of these link roads, the people of Hazara division had no direct route with the province.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Overseas Pakistanis Commission Bill, 2024; Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Law (Amendment) Bill 2024 and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Parks and Horticulture Bill 2024 were also tabled in the provincial assembly on Monday. The session was adjourned till Tuesday afternoon.