PESHAWAR: Caretaker Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Azam Khan passed away on Saturday. He was 89.
He was admitted to a private hospital on Friday night after his health deteriorated.
The hospital spokesperson, Shabbir Shah, said he was admitted to ICU in a critical state. He said Azam was suffering from multiple ailments including heart problem.
Azam’s funeral prayer will be offered in Charsadda.
Muhammad Azam Khan has been serving as the caretaker chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa since Jan 21, 2023. He was appointed by Governor Haji Ghulam Ali after the dissolution of the KP provincial assembly on Jan 18, 2023.
He was born in a village named Parrang in Charsadda. He had a law degree from the University of Peshawar. Azam Khan had passed Bar At Law from Lincoln’s Inn College London. He joined the District Management Group (now called PAS) after passing the civil service examination and retired from the top slot of chief secretary of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Legal perspective
He said law stipulates that until a new chief minister is elected, the governor will assume authority and manage provincial affairs.
He said Article 224 of the Constitution empowered the Senate to make decisions in emergency situations, and if there’s a disagreement in selecting a new CM, the matter would be referred to the ECP.
He further said the leaders of the House and the opposition in the Senate would sit together to come up with a new CM’s name. In case of disagreement between them, the matter would land in ECP.
The entire process should not take more than a week under the law, said Dilshad.
Condolences pour in
Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar termed the KP CM an honest and pious person. He prayed for the deceased’s family.
Caretaker Interim Information Minister Murtaza Solangi remembered Azam as a ‘gentleman’ and ‘polite’ person. In the same way, e caretaker Interior Minister Sarfraz Ahmed Bugti prayed for Khan’s family.
Sindh Governor Kamran Khan Tessori showed his profound grief on Khan death and prayed for deceased’s elevated ranks.
PPP leader Faisal Karim Kundi also prayed for bereaved family saying he was ‘deeply saddened by the loss’.
