Governor Kundi administers oath to KP’s new cabinet

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s newly formed 13-member provincial cabinet, comprising 10 ministers, two advisers, and one special assistant, was sworn in on Friday during a ceremony at the Governor House, Peshawar.

Newly elected Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, who succeeded Ali Amin Gandapur earlier this month, announced his cabinet after receiving directives from jailed PTI founder Imran Khan to proceed with the appointments.

Since assuming office, Afridi had reportedly been denied permission four times to meet Khan at Adiala Jail, despite orders from the Islamabad High Court (IHC). The CM had stated that he sought Khan’s guidance before finalizing his cabinet lineup.

KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi administered the oath to Mina Khan Afridi, Fazal Shakoor, Faisal Turkai, Aaqibullah Khan, Arshad Ayub Khan, Aftab Alam, Dr Amjad, Khaliq-ur-Rehman, Riaz Khan, and Syed Fakhar Jehan as provincial ministers.

Additionally, Muzammil Aslam and Taj Muhammad Tarand took oath as advisers, while Shafeeullah Jan was sworn in as special assistant to the chief minister. The portfolios of all cabinet members will be announced later.

The new cabinet is notably smaller than Gandapur’s 33-member team, which was later reduced after a reshuffle. Afridi’s streamlined cabinet is seen as part of efforts to ensure administrative efficiency and political balance in the province.