ISLAMABAD: Today, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cabinet is poised to undergo its swearing-in ceremony, following Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur’s endorsement from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan.
Gandapur revealed discussions with Khan regarding the assembly of the KP cabinet during their recent meeting held in Adiala jail, Rawalpindi.
“We are set for the oath-taking ceremony of cabinet members today,” Gandapur announced.
After his meeting with Khan, Gandapur promptly returned to Peshawar and instructed relevant authorities to arrange the oath-taking ceremony at the Governor’s House for the incoming cabinet members.
However, the identities of the proposed cabinet members have yet to be divulged by the KP chief minister.
Interestingly, a majority of those endorsed as cabinet members by the PTI founder were unaware of their selection. Sources revealed to The News that Gandapur refrained from disclosing the names of his cabinet members due to pressure from certain factions within the party urging accommodation for their nominees.
“A summary has been submitted and preparations have been made for their oath-taking ceremony on Wednesday,” a source familiar with the cabinet formation developments shared with The News on condition of anonymity.
Various names had been circulating for some time, with hopefuls anticipating consideration for the provincial cabinet. While a list of proposed cabinet members was unofficially circulated to the media, senior PTI officials neither confirmed nor rejected it.
Off the record, some officials acknowledged the majority of names on the list when presented to them. Former finance and health minister Taimur Khan Jhagra is anticipated to lead the provincial government’s financial team.
Similarly, the list included names such as Aqibullah Khan, Faisal Khan Tarakai, Shakeel Khan, Shafiullah Khan, Liaqat Ali Khan, Meena Khan Afridi, Qasim Ali Shah, Khaliqur Rahman, Mian Omar, Dr. Amjad Ali Khan, Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani, Shafi Jan, Akbar Ayub, Zahir Shah Toru, and Riaz Khan, among others.
Anwar Zaib Khan and Adnan Qadri were also purportedly approved for cabinet positions.
“Some cabinet members and their portfolios have been finalized, but I am unable to disclose them,” asserted a PTI leader.
Speaking on the condition of anonymity, the leader added that while every PTI MPA in the provincial assembly aspired for a cabinet seat, such an extensive inclusion was impractical.
Meanwhile, certain senior PTI leaders, elected to the National Assembly from KP, expressed concerns that most cabinet selections were based on influential party leaders’ recommendations, potentially leading to embarrassment for the PTI founding chairman and Gandapur, as many lack significant experience in pivotal roles.
“I had hoped that Khan Sahib (Imran Khan) would learn from past mistakes and choose cabinet members based on merit, but that hasn’t been the case. Nearly all cabinet members have been selected based on influential party leaders’ recommendations,” opined a PTI MNA from Peshawar.
