Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Caretaker Chief Minister, Muhammad Azam Khan, held a meeting on Thursday with potential candidates for the upcoming caretaker cabinet. The discussions included two former caretaker ministers and eight other individuals, as revealed by official sources.
During the meeting, Chief Minister Muhammad Azam Khan engaged with Dr. Riaz Anwar, Justice (retired) Irshad Qaisar, Dr. Sarfarz Ali, Humayun Behramand, Muhammad Ishfaq, Justice Amir Abdullah, Asif Rafiq Aridi, Engineer Amir Nadeem Durrani, and Dr. Najeebullah. Notably, the discussions extended beyond personal interviews, with a focus on effectively managing governmental affairs while steering clear of political involvement.
Anticipated to comprise 16 members, including the Chief Minister, the forthcoming cabinet is taking shape. Sources indicate that former Minister of Information, Barrister Feroze Jamal Kakakel, and Seyed Masood Shah are likely candidates for inclusion.
Read Azam Khan sworn in as caretaker K-P CM
Moreover, further appointments are in the pipeline, with additional names expected to be finalized shortly. Notably, the consideration of the son of a former PTI MNA (Member of the National Assembly) is also under review.
Official sources told The Express Tribune that the finalization process for selecting potential cabinet members has entered its conclusive phase. Once decisions are reached, the designated caretaker ministers will be sworn into office.
In a notable departure from past practices, this time the focus lies on appointing cabinet members without affiliations to any political party, a move aimed at sidestepping potential controversies.
An official disclosed, “It is likely that only 15 ministers will be included in the cabinet, sourced from retired technocrats and bureaucrats, who possess no direct involvement in active politics.” This approach also aims to maintain a leaner cabinet size and minimize government expenditures, with no special assistants or advisors being inducted.
This measure comes against the backdrop of a prior cabinet that had swelled to 27 members.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 18th, 2023.
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