K-P government assigns portfolios to 13-member cabinet

CM inducts Shafi Ullah Jan as Special Assistant, Meena Khan Afridi takes charge of Local Government portfolio

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government has formally assigned portfolios to the newly formed 13-member cabinet, which took oath a day earlier.

According to an official notification issued by the Administration Department following the chief minister’s approval, ten members of the provincial cabinet have been assigned new departmental roles.

Shafi Ullah Jan from Kohat has been inducted as Special Assistant for Information, Broadcasting and Public Relations. Meena Khan Afridi of Peshawar 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 Elementary and Secondary Education Department. He earlier served as Minister for Local Government. Fazal Shakoor Khan, who previously handled the Labour Ministry, has been assigned 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 for Law, Parliamentary Affairs and Human Rights, while Syed Fakhar Jehan will now lead the Excise and Taxation Department, having earlier served as Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs.

 

Riaz Khan has been assigned the Irrigation portfolio. He earlier served as Minister for Communications and Works. Khaleeq-ur-Rehman, who previously headed the Excise and Taxation Department, will now oversee the Health Department.

Aqib Ullah Khan, brother of former speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser, has been appointed Minister for Relief, Rehabilitation and Settlement after previously managing Irrigation. Meanwhile, Faisal Khan Tarakai, brother of former senior minister Shahram Tarakai, has taken charge of the Labour Department. He earlier served as Provincial Minister for Elementary and Secondary Education during Gandapur’s tenure.

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Among the advisors, Muzzammil Aslam has been reappointed as Finance advisor, while Taj Muhammad Tarand has been assigned Sports and Youth Affairs, a portfolio he previously handled as Special Assistant for Prisons during the Mahmood Khan government.

After the resignation of former chief minister Ali Amin Gandapur last month, PTI had nominated Sohail Afridi as the new leader of the provincial government. Afridi was sworn in on October 15, but despite repeated speculation about potential cabinet members, no formal announcement was made at the time.

During his maiden speech in the provincial assembly, CM Afridi reaffirmed his loyalty to the PTI founder, declaring, “I took votes in Imran Khan’s name, and I will govern according to his vision.” He further stated, “No cabinet appointments would be finalised until he personally consults Khan.”

The absence of a cabinet had paralysed routine governance in the province. Most official matters were being handled by the bureaucracy under the supervision of the chief secretary, effectively sidelining elected representatives.

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The delay in reconstituting a new cabinet had drawn criticism from the opposition. After deliberations, CM Afridi formed a 13-member cabinet on Friday, comprising 10 provincial ministers, two advisers, and one special assistant—slightly smaller than the one formed by former CM Gandapur.

Afridi revealed that the cabinet would initially include 10 ministers, following instructions received from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder Imran Khan.

During Gandapur’s tenure, K-P had a 32-member cabinet comprising 16 ministers, four advisers, and 12 special assistants.