Under the influence of PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, decisions were made to appoint Sardar Saleem Haider and Faisal Karim Kundi as governors of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa respectively.
The nomination of governors stirred various opinions within the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), however, President Asif Ali Zardari supported Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s decisions.
Similarly, at the insistence of Bilawal Bhutto, Murad Ali Shah was appointed as the Chief Minister of Sindh, following which Faryal Talpur withdrew from the candidacy for the position. Sharjeel Memon and Nasir Shah also stepped back from their aspirations for the role.
Bilawal Bhutto has placed two loyalists as governors in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, recognising their steadfast support during challenging times. According to internal sources within the PPP, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, on the recommendation of provincial party president Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, decided to nominate Sardar Saleem Haider for the governorship of Punjab. Haider is considered a close associate of Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, who assured the party leadership that Haider could activate the party in central Punjab.
Despite opportunities to join the PML-N or PTI as extended by former Interior Minister Nisar Ali Khan, Sardar Saleem Haider remained committed to the PPP. Faisal Karim Kundi is set to be a powerful governor in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
He is a prominent political opponent to KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and JUI leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman in the local politics of Dera Ismail Khan.
Kundi, who is also a relative of the Chief Minister of KP and has maintained a strong stance against him, was chosen as the governor for these reasons. He will be a significant federal representative in KP, fully backed by the federal government.
