Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif may be named adviser to CM

NOWSHERA: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cabinet is likely to undergo changes in the near future, sources said.

The sources privy to the development told The News that a former senator from Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif, who has joined the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), is likely to be named the adviser on information to Chief Minister Mahmood Khan.

It was learnt that the chief minister has consulted Prime Minister Imran Khan for giving this responsibility to Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif as he wants him to highlight the reforms being undertaken by the KP government in various sectors.

Another political figure from Swabi, Aqibullah Khan, who is an MPA, may be named adviser to the chief minister as well. His portfolio would be named in a day or two. He is the brother of National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser.

Meanwhile, Mohammad Atif Khan who was re-inducted into the cabinet a few days ago after having been sacked last year on disciplinary grounds, is likely to be named the health minister. Another new cabinet member from Charsadda, Fazal Shakoor Khan, who has a reputation for changing political parties and had joined the PTI after quitting the JUI-F and ANP, may get the law portfolio, which became vacant when law minister Sultan Mohammad Khan, also from Charsadda, was sacked some months ago for allegedly selling his vote in the March 2015 Senate election.

Two other new ministers, Faisal Amin Gandapur from Dera Ismail Khan and Shakeel Ahmad from Malakand district, are expected to be allotted portfolios in the next two days.

Faisal Amin Gandapur, the younger brother of federal minister Ali Amin Gandapur, could get the irrigation portfolio that fell vacant when Defence Minister Pervez Khattak’s younger brother Liaqat Khattak was removed from the cabinet for opposing the PTI candidate Mian Umar Kakakhel in the by-election for a provincial assembly seat from Nowshera and enabling the PML-N’s Ikhtiar Wali to win the contest.

Shakeel Ahmad may again be given the portfolio of revenue that he held when he was sacked from the cabinet along with Atif Khan and Swabi’s Shahram Khan Tarakai for allegedly conspiracy to form a group in the PTI against Chief Minister Mahmood Khan. The sources said the chief minister had signed and Governor Shah Farman approved the summary for the appointment of Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif as advisor to the chief minister, adding a notification was expected to be issued in a few days.