Faisal Karim Kundi likely to replace Haji Ghulam Ali as 35th Governor of KP

Hassan Naqvi

LAHORE: Senior Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader is the hot contender to become Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) governor and party leadership has finalised his name, The Frontier Post (TFP) has learnt.

Sources who belongs to the inner circle of Asif Ali Zardari told TFP that also vying for the role are PPP’s KP President Mohammad Ali Shah Bacha, former minister Zahir Ali Shah, Barrister Masood Kausar, and Khawaja Yawar Naseer.

A senior leader from PPP who is considered close to both Asif Ali Zardari and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari maintained that Faisal Karim Kundi is likely to be given this important portfolio because the leadership believes that he is dynamic, young and can play a major role in reviving the party in province.

“In KP, Kundi has demonstrated his ability to challenge not only the PTI but also the JUI-F,” he said.

It is pertinent to mention that in 2002, Kundi contested for the National Assembly seat from NA-24 (D.I.Khan) under the banner of the PPP in the general election but did not secure victory.

However, his fortunes changed in the 2008 general election when he won the NA-24 seat representing the PPP.

Subsequently, in March 2008, he assumed the role of Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly. Despite a previous affiliation, he opted to run as an independent candidate for the NA-24 seat in the 2013 general election, but his bid ended in disappointment.

His electoral misfortunes persisted in subsequent elections in 2018 and 2024 in D.I. Khan.

In September 2022, Mr. Faisal Karim Kundi received the appointment from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to serve as the Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety.

Alongside his governmental role, Kundi holds a significant political position within the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) as its Information Secretary.

Once his name is announced by PPP leadership he will replace Haji Ghulam Ali, a prominent politician affiliated with Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), who currently holds the esteemed position of the 34th Governor of KP, assuming office on November 23, 2022. Prior to this role, Ali served as the Mayor of Peshawar for over three years and represented his party in the Senate from 2009 to 2015, spanning a six-year tenure.

In March 2009, he secured a seat in the Senate of Pakistan as a candidate of JUI-F. Within the Senate, he assumed leadership as the chairperson of the Senate Committee on Commerce and Textile Industry, while also contributing as a member of various committees including States and Frontier Regions, Inter-Provincial Coordination, and Parliamentary Affairs.

Additionally, his family maintains a strong presence within the political landscape, with his son Fayaz Ali being the Son-In-Law of JUI-F leader Fazal-ur-Rehman, and another son, Zubair Ali, serving as the Mayor of Peshawar City.