KP cabinet formation suffers delay

PESHAWAR: The formation of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cabinet has been delayed as newly elected Chief Minister Mohammad Sohail Afridi has expressed his intention to make merit-based and performance-oriented selections for his team of ministers.

According to sources, the chief minister is determined to induct only honest, dedicated and competent members into his cabinet.

He has reportedly rejected traditional political recommendations and plans to reshuffle the provincial bureaucracy to cleanse the administration of corruption, inefficiency, and poor governance that marred the province’s image during the 14-year rule of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The chief minister is said to be concerned about both the imprisonment of his party founder and the poor performance of the PTI government during its three consecutive tenures in the province.

“The chief minister wants his government to work on a three-month plan. He wishes to plan, implement, review, and then proceed further,” a senior official told The News.

He aims to keep his cabinet small, comprising only honest and efficient members -though finding such individuals within the current composition of the provincial assembly is proving to be a major challenge.

The top leadership of PTI has reportedly tasked MNA from Swat, Sohail Sultan, with assisting the chief minister in identifying potential cabinet members. Sultan will also contribute to the selection process and the subsequent performance evaluation of ministers.

Meanwhile, concerns have been raised over alleged irregularities and corruption within the provincial bureaucracy.

Reports of corruption worth billions of rupees have been making headlines daily. Nepotism, irregular postings, and administrative inefficiency have become widespread, with honest and competent civil servants sidelined while individuals with “specific qualifications” have secured prized positions, sources said.

To address these issues, the chief minister reportedly plans to constitute a panel of honest and efficient civil servants, both serving and retired, to restore integrity, effectiveness, and good governance in the province. A group of senior officers has already been assigned the task of finalizing a list of honest and competent officers for placement as secretaries of administrative departments in the provincial secretariat, as well as commissioners and deputy commissioners in the field, the sources added.

A written criterion has already been drafted for the selection and evaluation of provincial ministers to ensure merit-based appointments and efficiency.

According to the document, each potential minister will be evaluated on key parameters, including integrity and accountability, legislative performance, public service record, competence, experience, vision, and leadership - with a total of 25 points.

Under this scoring system, candidates securing 21–25 points will be deemed highly suitable for ministerial induction, those scoring 16–20 points suitable with mentoring support, and candidates below 11 points unsuitable for cabinet inclusion.

The cabinet formation will be followed by a three-month post-selection review focusing on policy implementation, departmental leadership, stakeholder engagement, and accountability.

Ministers will be graded on a similar 25-point scale to determine whether they should be retained, reassigned, or replaced, the document further stated.

Additionally, a digital cabinet performance dashboard will be introduced to track progress and ensure transparency, alongside a neutral evaluation committee consisting of senior civil servants, governance experts, and independent observers.

According to a senior official, the cabinet selection framework of the new chief minister represents a decisive shift toward performance-based governance and institutional accountability. “This is perhaps the first attempt in KP’s political history to link ministerial performance with measurable Key Performance Indicators (KPIs),” he remarked.

However, implementing such a framework will not be an easy task, as it will face significant challenges both within and outside the party. Questions have also been raised about the sincerity of the chief minister, with critics suggesting his plans may prove to be mere eyewash, a cosmetic effort to enhance his image and restore the confidence of disheartened party workers.

Even if the chief minister is sincere in his efforts, he will likely face pressure from senior PTI leadership, limiting his ability to pursue the plan independently.

Resistance from the entrenched bureaucracy poses another serious challenge, as many officials accustomed to discretionary transfers and political patronage may resist reforms and create hurdles in implementation.

Furthermore, powerful “invisible circles” have already expressed opposition to Sohail Afridi’s appointment as chief minister. In such circumstances, observers question whether he will have enough political space to implement his “ambitious agenda.”

Some reports suggest that while the chief minister’s selection criteria and evaluation plan have already been leaked, he may not have full authority to make appointments independently. According to these reports, final decisions could still be influenced by powerful factions within the PTI and beyond.

Meanwhile, lobbying for cabinet positions has intensified among former ministers and sitting PTI lawmakers. The Chief Minister’s House remains crowded with legislators and political leaders, all making vigorous efforts to secure a berth in the new cabinet.