Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has unilaterally finalized and sworn in his new provincial cabinet after being repeatedly blocked from consulting with jailed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, a move that marks a significant development in the province’s political landscape.
A ten-member team of provincial ministers was formally inducted into office during a ceremony at the Governor House on Friday. Governor Faisal Karim Kundi administered the oath to the new appointees, officially establishing the chief minister’s administration.
The formation of the cabinet proceeded without the input of the former prime minister, who has been imprisoned at Adiala Jail since August 2023. Official sources confirmed that CM Afridi, despite having court directives, was denied permission for a meeting on four separate occasions, compelling him to proceed independently.
The new lineup, considerably smaller than the 33-member cabinet of Afridi’s predecessor, Ali Amin Gandapur, includes Meena Khan Afridi, Fazal Shakoor Khan, Faisal Turkai, Aqibullah Khan, Arshad Ayub Khan, and Aftab Alam Afridi. Other members are Dr Amjad Ali, Khaleeq-ur-Rehman, Riaz Khan, and Syed Fakhar Jehan. The allocation of their specific portfolios is expected to be announced shortly.
In addition to the core cabinet, the chief minister has also appointed Muzammil Aslam and Taj Muhammad Tarand as his advisers. Shafeeullah Jan has been named a special assistant, with their designated responsibilities to be clarified in a later notification.
During the ceremony, Governor Kundi extended his congratulations to the new ministers, expressing his hope that they would serve the populace of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with dedication and transparency.
The event was attended by numerous high-profile officials and dignitaries, including Speaker Babar Saleem Swati, Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah, and Inspector General of Police Zulfiqar Hameed.