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QWP to rejoin KP government on Oct 12

Will have two ministers, two special assistants

By Mushtaq Paracha
October 09, 2015
NOWSHERA: The Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) is poised to rejoin the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-led Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government on October 12 when two ministers nominated by the party would take oath of office at a special ceremony in the provincial capital.
The sources told The News that the QWP ministers would be given the portfolios of Irrigation, Labour, Manpower and Industries and Mines and Mineral Development. The party would also get two special assistants to the chief ministers.
The QWP had three ministers before it was expelled from the coalition government led by the PTI in 2013. This decision was taken by Chief Minister Pervez Khattak on the instructions of his party leader Imran Khan, who had levelled allegations of corruption against QWP’s two ministers. They were Minister for Labour and Manpower Bakht Baidar and Minister for Forests Ibrar Hussain Tanoli. As a mark of protest, the QWP provincial president Sikandar Hayat Sherpao had resigned as minister of irrigation and power.
Bakht Baidar had filed a defamation case against Imran Khan, but he had to withdraw when the QWP and PTI have decided to become allies again.
The source said Sikandar Sherpao would take oath as senior minister with his previous portfolios of irrigation and power. Aneesa Zeb Tahirkheli, who is a former senator and minister of state, would become minister and get the other portfolios assigned to QWP.
The sources said that two other members of the provincial assembly belonging to QWP would be made special assistants to the chief minister.
One of them is the QWP lawmaker from Swabi, Abdul Karim. The sources said that name of other special assistant to the chief minister was yet to be finalized, though the names of Khalid Khan Umarzai and Arshad Umarzai were under consideration. Both belong to Charsadda district.
The sources said the oath-taking ceremony of the QWP ministers at the Governor’s House was expected to take place on October 12. The ceremony was to take place on October 13 but now the date has been changed.
When contacted, Chief Minister Pervez Khattak confirmed the reports. He said the PTI Chief Imran Khan and party’s senior leadership and core committee had completed consultation process on the matter. He said arrangements for administering oath to the QWP ministers had been finalised.
“The QWP decision to join the coalition would boost the position of the provincial government and enable it to better serve the people,” he said.
It may be mentioned that the power-sharing formula was signed by Chief Minister Pervez Khattak and QWP Chief Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao in Islamabad a few days ago.