ISLAMABAD: The newly formed 12-member interim cabinet of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, comprising nine ministers and two advisers along with a special assistant, took the oath of office.
Governor Ghulam Ali presided over the swearing-in ceremony at the Governor House, attended by KP caretaker Chief Minister Mohammad Azam Khan and other dignitaries. The ministers who were sworn in include Syed Masud Shah, Barrister Feroze Jamal Shah Kakakhel, retired Justice Irshad Qaiser, Ahmad Rasool Bangash, Asif Rafiq, Dr. Najeebullah, Dr. Mohammad Qasim Jan, retired Justice Arshad Hussain Shah, and Syed Aamir Abdullah.
However, advisers to the CM, Dr Riaz Anwar, and Dr Sarfaraz Ali Shah, along with special assistant Zafarullah Khan, also took the oath.
This ceremony followed the governor’s acceptance of a summary submitted by CM Khan regarding the new cabinet appointment on the previous day.
The reshuffling of the cabinet came about after 19 members of the previous caretaker cabinet submitted their resignations to the CM on August 10, citing their perceived involvement in politics. Another six members stepped down the following day.
Additionally, in response to the resignations, Governor Ghulam Ali accepted the resignations of 14 ministers and 11 aides to the CM, including six special assistants and five advisers on August 12.
The New cabinet
The recently inducted ministers have a diverse range of backgrounds. Notably, some of them were part of the previous caretaker cabinet, including Masud Shah, Mr. Kakakhel, retired Justice Qaiser, and Dr. Anwar.
Among the new additions, retired Justice Qaiser, who hails from the Hazara division, was the former chief judge of the Gilgit-Baltistan Supreme Appellate Court. He has also worked as the deputy attorney general for Pakistan.
Moreover, Dr. Najeebullah, a Ph.D. holder from the University of Cambridge in Material Science, has an extensive background in education and energy planning. He serves as a member of the Planning Commission of Pakistan, overseeing science, technology, information technology, and higher education portfolios.
Furthermore, the swearing-in ceremony underscores the ongoing efforts to establish an interim administration that can effectively address the diverse challenges faced by the province
