PESHAWAR -
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Shaukatullah Khan administered oath to 12-member provincial cabinet at the Governor’s House on Thursday.
However, the portfolios were not allocated to the members due to a deadlock between the PTI and Jamaat-e-Islami over the allocation of portfolios. It is expected that the ministers would be allotted ministries today. PTI ministers’ names and expected portfolios are: Shaukat Yousafzai, information, Shah Farman, health, Ali Amin Khan, excise, Atif Khan, elementary education, Yousaf Ayub, higher education, and Israrullah Gandapur.
Two ministers from Aftab Sherpao's Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) and two from Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) also took oath. QWP's Bakht Baidar, who was elected from Lower Dir, is likely to be named as the minister for labour, mines and industries while Malik Ibrar Hussain, who won election from Mansehra, will be the minister for forests and environment.
The two JI ministers are: Inayatullah, elected from Upper Dir, will get the local government portfolio and Habibur Rahman, an MPA from Buner, will run the ministry of Zakat and Ushar.
Senior ministers Sikandar Sherpao of the QWP and Sirajul Haq of the JI have already taken oath. Sikandar Sherpao is the minister for irrigation and energy while Sirajul Haq is the finance minister.
Chief Minister Pervez Khattak would also appoint five advisors and some special assistants. The likely advisors are: PTI's Yasin Khalil from Peshawar, Dr Amjad Ali from Swat and Ali Amin Gandapur from Dera Ismail Khan. The likely special assistants are: Dr Mehrtaj Roghani, elected on the reserved seats from women, who would be assigned the portfolio of health. Naseem Hayat, another PTI female lawmaker belonging to Swabi, could also be named special assistant. Malik Qasim Khan, an independent MPA from Karak who later joined the PTI, may be appointed as an advisor or special assistant. The chief minister would keep the portfolios of planning and development, services and general administration and C&W.
Masses to note change soon, says Khattak
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak has said that implementation of the instructions issued by the provincial government to introduce reforms and bring about change in various social sectors has been started. He said that the process of reforms would be expedited with each passing day and people would soon note an obvious change.
He expressed these views while talking to media persons after the oath-taking ceremony of the provincial cabinet at the Governor House Peshawar on Thursday. The chief minister said that a female candidate would be inducted in the provincial set up as a special assistance to give representation to the women folk.
Touching upon the upcoming provincial budget, he said that it will be a public friendly budget and adequate funds would be allocated for the completion of the ongoing developmental schemes of the last government. Responding to a question, Pervez Khattak said that in the last meeting of the National Economic Council he had put forward suggestions to address major issues of the province to which the federal government and Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif had agreed.
Regarding the size of provincial cabinet, the CM said that relevant provision of the Constitution would be followed and nothing would be done ultra constitutional.
On the question of the expected flood in the province, he said that a contingency plan had been developed and all precautionary and safety measures had been taken to avoid or minimize the loss of lives and properties.
Meanwhile, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister Shaukat Ali Yousafzai has said that restoration of peace and establishment of a corruption-free society were the two main challenges for the PTI government to be tackled. He pledged that these challenges would be met by acting on a viable strategy and a lot of work had already been done in that direction.
He was talking to members of the Parliament and different workers delegations that called on him at his office soon after taking oath as the provincial minister. Those met him were included MNA from Kohat Shehryar Afridi and MPAs Fazle Elahi Khan, Dr Amjad Ali, Provincial President of Insaf Doctors Forum Dr Ali Haider, PTI Swat General Secretary Muhammad Zeb Khan and people belonging to different walks of life. Yousafzai said the PTI would fulfill all the promises made with the people during the election campaign. On reaching the office he was given a warm reception by the PTI workers and was felicitated on the new responsibilities.
He stated that restoration of peace and confidence of investors was top on the PTI list.
He expressed concern over the backwardness of Peshawar city and stated that in the past no proper heed had been paid to the provincial capital due to which a large number of problems had been surfaced. He vowed that all the available resources would be utilised to restore the old prestige of Peshawar city, bettering the existing infrastructure and traffic system. He said efforts would be made to make Peshawar a beautiful and modern city like other capitals in the country.
Yousafzai said revolutionary changes would be introduced in the health and education sector and efforts would be made to provide standard education and better medical facilities to the people in both sectors. He disclosed that budget of both sectors would be increased to seven times. He called upon the government employees to work with full honesty and devotion and did not care for pressure from those quarters who force them to do any illegal activity.
He assured that the honest and devoted workers would fully be encouraged and the corrupt employees would be given exemplary punishment.