Sunday, March 17, 2013

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa sets healthy tradition

In a rare show of political maturity and harmony, the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the Opposition parties in the Provincial Assembly have unanimously nominated a well-respected and widely-trusted Justice (retd) Tariq Pervez Khan, as caretaker Chief Minister of the province, unlike the ongoing tug of war amongst the political parties in the Centre and the rest of the Provinces—Balochistan, Sindh and Punjab. Even more welcoming move is that Chief Minister Amir Haider Khan Hoti of the Awami National Party (ANP), following Pakhtun traditions, personally visited the house of the opposition leader Akram Khan Durrani of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) to discuss the name of caretaker chief minister thus two leaders gracefully agreed on the nomination of the caretaker Chief Minister hence they announced the name of Justice Khan at a joint press conference in Islamabad that paved the way for unprecedented smooth transition of power for next elections. The outgoing KPK Chief Minister Amir Haider Khan Hoti showered rich tributes to the Opposition leader Durrani, eulogizing his support and guidance in evolving consensus on the Caretaker Chief Minister. Justice Khan, born on February 1948, is mostly regarded as a clean personality and unbiased professional that the people of KPK were looking for to head the caretaker set-up in the restive province to ensure free, fair, transparent and impartial elections. After completing his education from Peshawar, Justice Khan practiced law there till he was elevated as a judge. Having vast experience and knowledge of the local politics and the tradition, impartial Justice Khan is well deserved candidate to lead the province to smooth transition of power. Thus the hope and expectations attached to him in his new role are not misplaced. Secondly, amicable consensus in the KPK on the Caretaker CM, indeed, is good omen and it must have sent positive signals to Islamabad for others to follow suit. Above all, the KPK has put the anxiety and apprehensions about the fate of the elections to rest. The National Assembly ceases to exist today hence the ongoing consultations on the caretaker setups will soon to come logic conclusion. The Prime Minister, the Chief Ministers, taking a step forward, have agreed in principle to hold the elections of the national and provincial assemblies on the same day but they are yet to come to terms on the dissolution of provincial assemblies on the same date. The differences have erupted over the MQM’s late decision to part ways with the PPP and to sit on the opposition benches edging out the PML-F—a strategy, the two former allies have designed to their own advantage. The PML-N, having leverage of the constitutional five-year term for the Punjab Assembly ending on April 8, is twisting the PPP arms to revive status of its ally PML-F in the Sindh Assembly. The differences do exist amongst the stakeholders but will soon be ironed out. The KPK politics has set a healthy example for all to follow failing which constitutional doors are ajar to keep political wheels moving.

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