PESHAWAR: The provincial assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa witnessed a heated debate after opposition leader and parliamentary leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Ahmed Karim Kundi, raised serious objections over the appointment of Mazamil Aslam as the Finance Minister.
Kundi maintained that the Assembly had reached an unconstitutional decision because it had granted ministerial powers to Aslam.
Kundi stated to the assembly that people should not receive ministerial positions until they complete their official oath of office. “A minister cannot enter the assembly without taking the oath. Kundi expressed his displeasure about the provincial administration because it displayed extreme unresponsiveness to its duties.
Kundi stated that Aslam had breached constitutional regulations because he attended the National Finance Commission (NFC) meeting to represent the province without holding an official ministerial post. Kundi stated that he would apologize to everyone if his statement proved incorrect but he maintained that all actions constituted illegal activity.
Aftab Alam, the Provincial Minister, acknowledged that Kundi made a valid argument in response to Kundi’s concerns. Alam confirmed that there was indeed an error in the official notification issued by the Chief Secretary’s office which granted ministerial privileges to Aslam. “We will discuss the matter with the Chief Secretary and address the issue,” Alam stated.
Alam explained that Mazamil Aslam served as an advisor to the Chief Minister while he had received ministerial status and privileges but he did not possess complete ministerial authority.
CM Afridi approves ministerial status for Muzammil Aslam
Earlier, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has granted the status of a provincial minister to the Chief Minister’s Adviser on Finance, Muzammil Aslam.
According to an official notification, the decision was approved by the Chief Minister under Clause 9 of Article 130 of the Constitution of Pakistan. The notification stated that the decision has taken immediate effect.
Following the move, Muzammil Aslam will continue to perform his duties as Adviser to the Chief Minister on Finance but will now hold the status of a provincial minister. With this status, he will receive protocol and powers equivalent to a cabinet member.
Officials said the step was taken because being a provincial minister is a requirement for serving as a member of the National Finance Commission.
Since Muzammil Aslam is not an elected member, he cannot formally become a provincial minister. However, the Constitution allows the chief minister to grant a non-elected individual the status of a provincial minister for up to six months.
