<p>AIBAK (Pajhwok): Former Samangan governor Abdul Karim Khaddam has been appointed as deputy head of the <a href="/en/high-peace-council" class="glossify-link">High Peace Council</a> (HPC), officials said Tuesday.</p>
<p>Ziauddin Zia has been named as deputy governor of the province. Abdul Latif Ibrahimi replaced Khaddam as Samangan governor on February 18.</p>
<p>However, Khaddam said he would not leave his office until the <a href="/en/jamiat-i-islami" class="glossify-link">Jamiat-I-Islami</a> (JIA) party and Turkmen tribesmen endorsed the change.</p>
<p>Abdul Latif Ibrahimi was inaugurated as governor of Samangan today. Khaddam later said he had no problem with the appointment of Ibrahimi and that his previous statement was driven by emotions.</p>
<p>Dr. Timor Sharan, a senior policy official at the Independent Directorate of Local Governance (IDLG), while introducing the new governor, said Khaddam had been named as deputy head of HPC and Zia as deputy governor.</p>
<p>In the past, Khaddam served as HPC deputy head. Zia has also been deputy governor of Samangan.</p>
<p>Zia said he was appointed as deputy governor and Khaddam as HPC deputy head following an agreement with JIA. Both Zia and Khaddam are members of the party.</p>
<p>The JIA executive chief and ousted governor of northern Balkh province, Atta Mohammad Noor, has refused to stand down until the party asked him to.</p>
<p>mds</p>
