The formation of a 9-member caretaker cabinet in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) was finalized on Monday, following the swearing-in of Justice (retd) Arshad Hussain Shah as the interim chief minister, a day after the passing of former chief executive Azam Khan, which led to a temporary constitutional crisis in the province.
The official swearing-in ceremony took place at Governor House Peshawar, bringing an end to the crisis. Governor Haji Ghulam Ali administered the oath to the ministers, extending his good wishes to them. Caretaker Chief Minister Justice (retd) Syed Arshad Hussain Shah also participated in the ceremony.
The 9-member caretaker cabinet includes Syed Masood Shah, Justice (retd) Irshad Qaiser, Ahmed Rasool Bangash, Asif Rafiq, Dr Najeebullah, Dr Muhammad Qasim Jan, Engineer Aamir Nadeem Durrani, Engineer Ahmed Jan, and Syed Amir Abdullah. Former information minister Feroze Jamal Shah, who is currently abroad, did not partake in the oath-taking ceremony but is expected to do so at a later date.
The ceremony was attended by Chief Secretary Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry, Inspector General of Police Akhtar Hayat Khan Gandapur, heads of administrative departments, and various political and social personalities.
Among those who took the oath, Syed Masood Shah and Justice (retd) Arshad Qaisar have been sworn in for the third consecutive time to oversee the caretaker cabinet of the province, while the other seven ministers took the oath for the second time.
Following the ceremony, the newly appointed interim chief minister formally assumed office, marking the beginning of his tenure. As he arrived at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat, he received a warm welcome from senior officials, accompanied by a ceremonial guard of honour presented by the police force.
