ISLAMABAD, Aug 6: The name of Awais Ghani, a former federal minister and grandson of Sardar Abdur Rab Nishtar, tops the list of probables being considered for governor of Balochistan, reliable sources have told Dawn.

The change of governor is being linked here to the federal government’s resolve to put Balochistan’s deteriorating law and order situation in firm control.

Sources said Mr Ghani, who remained a provincial minister in the NWFP under the military regime and was later elevated to the federal cabinet when the late Omar Asghar Khan resigned from the ministry, was most likely to get the post.

A meeting of the PML-Q also discussed the issue on Wednesday, inside sources said, adding the party leaders felt that Mr Ghani, being a Pukhtun, also fulfilled the demand of the Pukhtun population of Balochistan.

Mr Ghani was a member of the Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf before he joined the military government.

Earlier, the names of JUI MNA Maulana Mohammad Khan Sherani and some other candidates were reported in the press apart from Mr Ghani’s. Names of provincial ombudsman Malik Sikandar Khan and Gul Hanif, a former diplomat, were also under consideration.

The appointment is likely to be made in a couple of days after the president will have discussed it in the corps commanders conference and with Prime Minister Zafarullah Khan Jamali, the sources claimed, adding the governor of the NWFP was also likely to be replaced.

NWFP Governor Lt-Gen (retd) Iftikhar Hussain Shah had a meeting with President Gen Pervez Musharraf on Tuesday, giving credence to reports that he was also on his way out.

While Balochistan Governor Lt-Gen (retd) Abdul Qadir Baloch is being replaced with a Pukhtun man, the NWFP is likely to have a politician as governor.

If Mr Ghani succeeds Gen Baloch, he will be the third Pukhtun governor from the NWFP after Prince Mian Gul Aurangzeb, who served the province during Nawaz Sharif’s stint in power, and Gen Imranullah Khan.