Who is who in caretaker KP cabinet?

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s caretaker cabinet was sworn in on Saturday, Governor Ghulam Ali administered the oath in a ceremony held at the Governor House on Saturday. It was attended by KP caretaker Chief Minister Mohammad Azam Khan and others.

Here’s a closer look at the profiles of the cabinet members:

DR NAJEEB ULLAH MARWAT

He originates from the Lakki Marwat district. He holds a PhD from the University of Cambridge UK (Department of Material Science). He provided his services at University of Engineering and Technology Peshawar and also worked as the Project Director at University of Engineering and Technology Swat. Presently, he is a member of the federal government’s Planning Commission.

Asif Rafiq Afridi

Afridi resides in Hayatabad, Peshawar. He has garnered experience in trading, agriculture, and plastic manufacturing, both within Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, he has also offered his services in the United Kingdom.

Dr Syed Amir Abdullah

He is a resident of Peshawar. He holds a master’s degree in International Relations from Peshawar University and a doctorate from Erasmus University Rotterdam in the Netherlands. He passed the CSS exams and was chosen for the Customs Service. He secured the first position and the President’s Medal in the 27th Advanced Training Program at the Civil Services Academy. However, he resigned from his post later on. He has also served as a member of the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) Expert Committee. Syed Amer Abdullah is a UNDP and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government consultant. He possesses 23 years of experience in his field.

Dr Sarfraz Ali Shah

Dr Sarfraz Ali Shah is a professor of Economics at the American University in Cairo, Egypt. Besides Egypt, he has also served in France and the United Kingdom.

Ahmad Rasool Bangash

Ahmad Rasool Bangash is a former Federal Secretary and Additional Auditor General of Pakistan. He has also served as the former Accountant General of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and worked as the Financial Advisor for Pakistan Ordinance Factories Board in 2007.

Dr Muhammad Qasim Jan

He has served as a professor at the National Centre of Excellence in Geology, University of Peshawar.He is focused on research areas such as Geochemistry, Mineralogy, Petrology, and Tectonics. His current projects are ‘Kohistan arc’ and ‘Petrography of the Nagar Parkar Igneous Complex, SE Pakistan.’

Justice Retired Arshad Hussain:

He served as the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Appellate Court Gilgit-Baltistan. He held this position from 2019 to 2022.

Members who were reappointed from the previous cabinet:

Dr Riaz Anwar

He was appointed as the Special Assistant to the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for Health last May. Before that, he held the position of Special Assistant to the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for Sports and Youth Affairs.

Syed Masud Shah

Saeed Masood Shah, from Malakand District.He has formerly served as the Inspector General of Police. He was also a member of the previous caretaker cabinet.

Justice Retired Irshad Qaiser:

She has held the position of a judge in the Peshawar High Court and was entrusted with the role of Minister for Higher Education in the previous caretaker cabinet.

Feroze Jamal Shah Kakakhel:

Barrister Feroz Jamal Shah was also part of the former caretaker cabinet, where he held the portfolio of Minister for Information, Religious Affairs, and Religious Endowments.

The present interim cabinet has welcomed eight fresh members, all of whom are distinguished experts in their respective domains, boasting not only exceptional education but also international recognition for their skills. Additionally, the caretaker cabinet retains four members from the previous caretaker cabinet. The new interim cabinet is comprised of a total of 12 members, including nine ministers, two advisors, and one special assistant.