TV Report
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Secretarite on Sunday cleared nomination papers of four candidates contesting the chief minister’s election.
The papers of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) nominated candidate Sohail Afridi, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl’s Maulana Lutfur Rehman, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s Sardar Shahjehan Yousaf, and Pakistan People’s Party’s Arbab Zarak Khan have all been accepted, the secretariat confirmed.
A contest will now take place among the four candidates for the province’s top post.
Earlier today, Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs Amir Muqam said that while governor’s rule is a constitutional option, there are currently no deliberations underway to impose it in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Speaking to Geo News, the minister said the governor had received the chief minister’s resignation and would process it in accordance with the law. “Every step must follow constitutional procedure,” he said.
Muqam criticised the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), saying the party appeared to be acting out of fear. “If PTI cannot wait until Monday, it seems they have concerns. If they have confined their MPAs, there must be some fear,” he said, adding that the party was trying to make the issue controversial.
He expressed hope that efforts would be made to agree on a consensus candidate for the upcoming chief minister election.
It is noteworthy to mention here that the opposition parties in the PTI-ruled KP have decided to field a joint candidate for the chief minister’s post, sources told Geo News.
Speaking to Geo News, JUI-F provincial chief Maulana Atta-ur-Rehman confirmed that opposition parties would field their own candidate, calling the submission of nomination papers a “constitutional and legal right”.
