KP governor administers oath to 10-member new cabinet

Peshawar (Web Desk): Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Sohail Afridi’s long-awaited cabinet was sworn in on Friday, comprising ten ministers, two advisers, and one special assistant, during a ceremony held at the Governor’s House in Peshawar.

According to the statement issued by the provincial government, KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi administered the oath to the newly appointed members.

Those taking the oath as provincial ministers included Meena Khan Afridi, Arshad Ayub Khan, Amjad Ali, Aftab Alam Afridi, Fazal Shakoor Khan, Khaliq-ur-Rehman, Riaz Khan, Syed Fakhar Jahan, Aqibullah Khan, and Faisal Khan.

Governor Kundi extended his congratulations to the new cabinet members and conveyed his hopes for their success in carrying out their responsibilities effectively.

Sohail Afridi, who was elected as the province’s chief executive earlier this month, had initially announced that his cabinet lineup would be revealed only after he had met with imprisoned PTI founder Imran Khan. However, after multiple unsuccessful attempts to arrange the meeting, Imran’s sister reportedly informed CM Afridi that he had full discretion to constitute his cabinet.

The delay in finalising the cabinet had triggered criticism from opposition lawmakers in the KP Assembly, who accused the ruling PTI of stalling governance. They also cautioned that the prolonged deadlock could pave the way for emergency measures in the province.

Meanwhile, the PTI’s provincial leadership had maintained that individuals tainted by corruption allegations or past controversies from the previous administration should not be included in the new cabinet, reaffirming its stance on integrity and accountability in governance.