PESHAWAR: The opposition leader in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Sardar Mehtab Ahmed Khan on Tuesday tendered his resignation from the assembly seat after his nomination by the federal government as governor of the province.

Mr Khan would likely take oath in a couple of days as 31st Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

When contacted, Mr Mehtab confirmed his resignation from the provincial assembly. The resignation would be presented to the provincial Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser for approval on Wednesday (today), according to sources.

The outgoing governor Engineer Shaukatullah had taken oath of office on February 11, 2013 after his appointment by the then president Asif Ali Zardari.

Mr Shaukatullah had tendered his resignation from the post on Tuesday.

Sardar Mehtab would be the first person to have the honour of becoming both the governor and chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Affiliated with Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Sardar Mehtab had remained chief minister of the province from 1997-1999.

He agreed to become governor after having meetings with his party chief, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, said the sources.

Our Correspondent from Abbottabad adds: Sardar Methab’s political career spans over more than 30 years. He became member of the then NWFP Assembly in 1985, and did so in 1988, 1990, 1993 and 1997.

He won both the National Assembly and provincial assembly seats from Abbottabad in 1990, 1993 and 1997. He missed the 2002 general elections as his government was ousted by military ruler Pervez Musharraf and was sent behind bars in a wheat scandal case. NAB cleared him in the case in 2003. He was elected to Senate in 2003.

He won the 2008 elections from Abbottabad by defeating his arch rival Amanullah Khan Jadoon. But, in 2013, he lost the NA seat though he secured more votes than his previous elections. However, he won the provincial assembly seat and was made opposition leader in the KP Assembly.