Daily Times

PESHAWAR: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has ruled out any reconciliation over the membership of the alleged murderer of former PTI cabinet member Sardar Soran Singh in the provincial Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

Talking to Daily Times, Member National Assembly (MNA) Hamid-ul-Haq said provincial cabinet, ruling and opposition benches of the Provincial Assembly are determined to oppose the entry of the alleged murderer Baldev Kumar in houose.

He said the Constitution of the party allows Baldev Kumar to join the cabinet but after taking oath the speaker of the Assembly through proper mechanism will move resolution for his disqualification.

PTI Chairman Imran Khan has expressed his concern over the nomination Baldev Kumar.

Adviser to the Chief Minister on Information and Public Relations Mushtaq Ghani when contacted said the stance of the PTI pertaining to Baldev Kumar membership as cabinet member on the minority seat was clear and government want to stop him from membership in provincial cabinet.

“The assembly members, including opposition benches, have decided that Soran’s [alleged] murderer, Baldev Kumar, cannot be allowed to enter the assembly premises and nor will he be permitted to take oath as an MPA,” Ghani told earlier to media during a news conference at Peshawar Press Club.

As per the constitutional status of Baldev, he was next candidate for the cabinet membership after the murder of Soran’s Singh.

Mushtaq Ghani said the provincial government approached the election commission with evidences suggested Kumar orchestrated the murder of Soran and therefore, he cannot become member of the provincial assembly legally.

The special assistant of Chief Minister Parvaiz Khattak on minority affairs, Sardar Soran Singh, had reputation as social worker in his locality and was considered to be the most vocal person in provincial assembly for the rights of the minorities. He was shot dead at his native hometown Buner on April 22. However, a few days later on April 25, police claimed to have arrested six suspects, including PTI minority leader Baldev Kumar, for masterminding the assassination.

Awami National Party (ANP) representative in the provincial assembly said that the opposition at the assembly on the same page over the issue of the Baldev Kumar nomination.

He said that the move of his nomination as cabinet member after allegedly involve in the killing would be opposes at any cost.