PESHAWAR: A writ petition was filed on Friday to seek the appointment of a deputy chief minister in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, citing repeated protest movements by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) provincial government that impacted administrative affairs in the province.
The petition was filed by Saif Mohibullah Kakakhel and it named the provincial government, the Chief Minister’s Secretariat and the Law Department as respondents. The petitioner argued that there was a serious lack of governance in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as the provincial leadership remained engaged in sit-ins, rallies and protest activities. It was stated that the chief minister, provincial ministers and other office-bearers were mostly busy with protests, leaving the province administratively paralyzed.
The petitioner maintained that for the effective running of provincial affairs and to address public grievances, a deputy chief minister should be appointed. According to the petition, public issues in the province were being neglected, while the chief minister and provincial ministers remained busy with protests outside Adiala Jail, where the PTI founder was imprisoned. The writ stated that provincial institutions had become ineffective and that there was no proper mechanism to address public complaints.
It emphasized that constitutional offices were a public trust, and therefore the chief minister and provincial ministers should be bound to uphold their oath of office and ensure regular attendance at their offices.
The petitioner argued that if the chief minister and provincial ministers were unable to provide relief to the public, then a deputy chief minister should be appointed. He added that the people of the province cannot be left without support and demanded that an alternative mechanism be devised to fill the administrative vacuum and ensure that all officials concerned fulfill their responsibilities.
