PM asks Governor Mahtab Abbasi to stay on for now
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Governor Sardar Mahtab Ahmad Khan Abbasi handed over his resignation from the office of the KP governor to Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif on Thursday night as he wants to contest the Senate elections which will be held in 2018.
The prime minister, however, asked Sardar Mahtab Khan Abbassi to continue to discharge his services as governor for the time being.
Sources close to the KP governor further said that Sardar Mahtab Khan Abbasi had sent a message to the prime minister through Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan informing him of his intention to resign from his office two weeks ago, as he intended to contest the 2018 Senate elections. It is necessary for him to resign from the office of the governor in February 2016 in order to be eligible for the Senate elections – the governor needs a mandatory two year period before he becomes eligible to contest Senate elections.
Governor Mahtab held a meeting on Thursday with the prime minister and the interior minister and conveyed to him the reasons behind the resignation. He said that he would contest the Senate elections to be held in 2018 and would continue to strive to strengthen the party in KP.
Sources went on to say that the prime minister asked Mahtab Abbasi to continue in his office till February 8. Sources further said that another meeting between the PM and Mahtab Khan Abbasi will be held on February 8, during which final decision will be made about the resignation. Sources further said that during the meeting, various names will be discussed in order to look for a suitable person for the office of the governor.
