11-member KP cabinet finally sworn in

PESHAWAR: An 11-member cabinet of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government finally took oath here on Wednesday after it was postponed twice in the recent days.

The acting Governor Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani, who is Speaker of the provincial assembly, administered the oath to the ministers belonging to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in a simple ceremony at the Governor's House. The PTI leaders, family members and supporters of the ministers and government officials attended the ceremony.

Kamran Bangash, a young first-time legislator of the PTI from Peshawar city, wasn't among the ministers who took oath. He had been named as minister of information technology in the list released three days ago by the PTI central leadership, but subsequently the party decided to appoint him as a special assistant to the chief minister. Disagreements over selection of ministers and portfolios apparently caused the delay in the oath-taking. Bannu's Malik Shah Mohammad even went public through a video statement to refuse his appointment as a special assistant to the chief minister for transport. He said he deserved to be made a minister after having served as special assistant to the chief minister for transport for five years.

Chief Minister Mahmood Khan, Acting Speaker of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Mahmood Jan, lawmakers, executive secretaries and senior government officials attended the ceremony. Those administered the oath included senior minister Mohammad Atif Khan with the portfolio of tourism, sports, culture and youth affairs, Minister for Local Government and Rural Development Shahram Khan Tarakai, Health Minister Dr Hisham Inamullah Khan, Food Minister Qalandar Lodhi, Law Minister Sultan Muhammad Khan, Minister for Forest Syed Ishtiaq Urmar, Finance Minister Taimur Saleem Khan Jhagra, Minister for Mineral Development Dr Amjad Ali, Agriculture Minister Mohibullah, Revenue Minister Shakil Khan and Akbar Ayub Khan, who hasn't been given any portfolio yet.

Acting Governor Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani read the oath in Urdu while the ministers followed him. He later congratulated the members of the provincial cabinet and wished them success in fulfillment of their responsibilities. Mohammad Atif Khan has become the MPA for the second time. He won from PK-50 Mardan. He served as Minister for Elementary and Secondary Education and Energy and Power in the previous PTI government from 2013-2018. He said he opted for the portfolio of tourism, sports, culture, youth affairs by choice. He is also likely to be asked to work as the education minister.

Shahram Khan Tarakai, elected from PK-47 Swabi, was the Minister for Health and Information Technology in the last government. He graduated from the Bond University in Australia. This time he has been given the portfolio of local government and rural development. Taimur Saleem Khan Jhagra was elected MPA from PK-73 Peshawar comprising urban localities like Hayatabad. He was born on November 11, 1977. He is foreign qualified and completed his degree in Business Administration from London Business School. He is one of the team members who conceived the PTI government's 100- day target plan. Dr Hisham Inamullah has been elected MPA for the first time from PK-92 Lakki Marwat on a PTI ticket. He is a dentist by profession, but the allocation of the important portfolio of health to him came as a surprise to even some PTI activists.

Syed Ishtiaq Urmar has been elected for the second time from PK-69 Peshawar. Earlier, he served as Minister for Forest and Environment in the PTI previous government. Shakeel Ahmad was elected from PK-18 Malakand. He was Special Assistant to the Chief Minister on Population in the previous government of the PTI. He is a lawyer by profession. Sultan Muhammad Khan, also a lawyer, was elected MPA from PK-58 Charsadda on the PTI ticket in the recent polls. Back in 2013, he was elected MPA on the ticket of the Qaumi Watan Party (QWP).

Akbar Ayub Khan hailing from Haripur served as Advisor to Chief Minister on Communication and Works in the previous government. He was born on August 17, 1971 in Haripur. He is the grandson of late President Ayub Khan. Dr Amjad Ali has been elected for the second time from PK-6 Swat. He also won another provincial assembly seat in Swat and has now vacated it. He served as Special Assistant to the Chief Minister on Housing in the previous government. Born on 14 October 1973 in Swat, he is a doctor by profession.

Mohibullah has been elected as Member Provincial Assembly from PK-8 Swat for the second time. He was born in Swat on December 20, 1968. He served as Special Assistant to Chief Minister on Livestock in the last government. Qalandar Lodhi has become the MPA for the fourth time. In the recent polls he was elected on the ticket of PTI for the second time from PK-38 Abbottabad. He was minister for food in the previous provincial government. He was born on March 19, 1944 and is a graduate.