PESHAWAR: Qalandar Khan Lodhi, who resigned as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Revenue and Estate on Wednesday, has been immediately appointed as adviser to the chief minister on the same subject.

Lodhi’s resignation and then appointment as adviser came in the wake of debate in the provincial assembly that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government had inducted more ministers than was constitutionally mandated.

The cabinet’s strength had reached 17 following the induction of four new ministers who took oath on April 4, 2021.

Under Article 130, sub-clause 6 of the Constitution under the 18th Amendment, “the cabinet shall be collectively responsible to the Provincial Assembly and the total strength of the Cabinet shall not exceed fifteen members or eleven per cent of the total membership of a provincial assembly, whichever is higher.”

An official notification from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Administration Department said on Wednesday the province’s governor had accepted the resignation of the minister. Another notification issued the same day said the chief minister had appointed Lodhi as adviser on revenue and estate with immediate effect.

In a related development, Chief Minister Mahmood Khan assigned the portfolio of law to Fazal-e-Shakoor Khan. Until last month, Shakoor, a new entrant as a minister in the cabinet, had held three portfolios, including law, parliamentary affairs and human rights.

Akbar Ayub Khan, who is the minister for local government, elections and rural development, was assigned additional charge of parliamentary affairs and human rights.

Published in Dawn, June 3rd, 2021