CM appoints Shafi Ullah Jan as special assistant, Meena Khan Afridi takes charge of local government portfolio
The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government officially allocated portfolios to the new 13-member cabinet, which was sworn in the day before.
According to an official notification issued by the Department of Administration following the approval of the Chief Minister, ten members of the provincial cabinet have been given new departmental roles.
Shafi Ullah Jan of Kohat has been appointed special assistant for information, broadcasting and public relations. Peshawar’s Meena Khan Afridi has been given charge of the Local Government Department, a portfolio that was previously held by former CM Ali Amin Gandapur alongside higher education.
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Arshad Ayub Khan will now head the primary and secondary education department. He previously served as Minister of Local Government. Fazal Shakoor Khan, who previously headed the labor ministry, has been posted to public health engineering.
Dr. Amjad Ali will continue to oversee the housing portfolio, a position he held under previous provincial administrations. Aftab Alam Afridi has been reinstated as Minister of Law, Parliamentary Affairs and Human Rights, while Syed Fakhar Jehan will now head the Excise and Taxation Department, having previously served as Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs.
Riaz Khan was given the irrigation portfolio. He previously served as Minister of Communications and Public Works. Khaleeq-ur-Rehman, who previously headed the excise and taxation department, will now oversee the health department.
Aqib Ullah Khan, brother of former National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser, was appointed Minister of Relief, Rehabilitation and Settlement after heading irrigation. Meanwhile, Faisal Khan Tarakai, brother of former minister Shahram Tarakai, took charge of the Labor Ministry. He previously served as provincial minister for primary and secondary education during Gandapur’s tenure.
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Among the advisors, Muzzammil Aslam was reappointed as financial advisor, while Taj Muhammad Tarand was given Sports and Youth Affairs, a portfolio he previously managed as special assistant for prisons during the Mahmood Khan government.
After the resignation of former chief minister Ali Amin Gandapur last month, the PTI had appointed Sohail Afridi as the new head of the provincial government. Afridi was sworn in on October 15, but despite repeated speculation about potential cabinet members, no official announcement was made at the time.
In his maiden speech in the provincial assembly, CM Afridi reaffirmed his loyalty to the PTI founder, saying, “I voted in the name of Imran Khan and will govern according to his vision.” He further said, “No cabinet appointment will be finalized until he personally consults with Khan. »
The absence of a cabinet had paralyzed routine governance in the province. Most official matters were handled by the bureaucracy under the supervision of the chief secretary, effectively sidelining elected representatives.
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The delay in forming a new cabinet had sparked criticism from the opposition. After deliberations, CM Afridi on Friday formed a 13-member cabinet, comprising 10 provincial ministers, two advisors and one special assistant, slightly smaller than the one formed by former CM Gandapur.
Afridi revealed that the cabinet would initially comprise 10 ministers, following instructions received from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder Imran Khan.
During Gandapur’s tenure, the KP had a 32-member cabinet comprising 16 ministers, four advisors and 12 special assistants.
