Justice (retd) Arshad Hussain Shah takes oath as KP interim CM

PESHAWAR: Justice (retd) Arshad Hussain Shah on Sunday took oath as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa caretaker chief minister during a ceremony held in Peshawar on Saturday.

KP Governor Haji Ghulam Ali administered the oath to Shah at a ceremony held at the Governor House. Peshawar High Court Chief Justice Mohammad Ibrahim Khan, inspector general of police, advocate general, former provincial ministers and other noted personalities were among the attendees of the ceremony.

Earlier today, the governor signed the summary of Shah's appointment as the new interim chief executive of the province.

The development comes after Muhammad Azam Khan — who was the caretaker chief minister — passed away after suffering from a heart attack a day earlier.

Azam was appointed as the interim CM in January this year following the dissolution of the provincial assembly by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-led government.

Following his demise, former KP CM Mahmood Khan and opposition leader Akram Khan Durrani held a consultative meeting to discuss the appointment of the new provincial chief executive.

The two leaders finalised Shah's name and sent the summary to the governor for approval.

Hailing from Abbottabad, Shah was serving as the law minister in former CM Muhammad Azam Khan's cabinet. Before joining the cabinet he had also served as the chief justice of the Gilgit Baltistan from 2019-2022.

Ahead of their meeting, Durrani said that KP had plunged into a crisis after Azam's death. He added that the matter of appointment will be resolved today.

"I will discuss the appointment of interim CM with preparation. I will also convince Mahmood Khan as no one rejects my suggestions," he had said.

On Saturday, Governor Ali had written a letter to Mahmood and Durrani, asking them to decide on a name for the provincial post.

‘Will assist ECP in conducting general elections’

Talking to Geo News after taking the oath of his office, the interim chief minister vowed that he would assist the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in holding free and fair polls as per the directions of the Supreme Court.

“All affairs of the province will be run in accordance with the law,” he added.

Shah further said that a new cabinet would be formed after consultation with all the stakeholders. Responding to a question, the newly-appointed chief executive said that he would focus on improving the law and order situation in the province.

Imran Khan-led PTI not to accept KP chief minister

Meanwhile, PTI leader Zahir Khan Toru said that the party would not accept the new chief minister whose appointment is decided by the former CM and opposition leader.

Toru said that they would move the court if the new chief minister's appointment is done by Khan and Durrani. He further stressed that the matter should be solved constitutionally, saying that the governor should not make his formulas.

"The new CM chosen by Mahmood Khan, Ghulam Ali and Akram Khan Durrani will be a political one," he said, adding that a level-playing field is not expected from the chosen chief executive.