By Staff Reporter
PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s new chief minister, Sohail Afridi, announced his provincial cabinet early on Friday, selecting 10 ministers, two advisers and one special assistant in a move that ends weeks of political suspense in this volatile northwestern province.
The oath-taking ceremony is scheduled for later today at 3 pm at the Governor’s House in Peshawar. The lineup, detailed in a summary sent to Governor Faisal Karim Kundi and confirmed by the provincial Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party on the social media platform X, includes as ministers Meena Khan Afridi, Arshad Ayub Khan, Amjad Ali, Aftab Alam Khan, Fazal Shakoor Khan, Khaleequr Rahman, Riaz Khan, Syed Fakhar Jehan, Aqibullah Khan and Faisal Khan.
Afridi also named Muzammil Aslam and Taj Muhammad as advisers, with Shafi Jan serving as special assistant. “The oath-taking ceremony of the newly appointed provincial ministers will take place at the Governor’s House today at 3pm,” he said.
Afridi, a 38-year-old rising star in Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, assumed the chief minister’s office on Oct. 13, succeeding Ali Amin Gandapur amid a turbulent political landscape marked by the party’s internal shifts. His announcement comes hours after he was denied permission for the fourth time to meet PTI founder Imran Khan, who remains incarcerated in Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi despite an order from the Islamabad High Court.
Afridi had repeatedly insisted on consulting Khan before forming his team, filing a petition with the high court that described such guidance as “crucial.” With those efforts thwarted, Khan’s sister informed the chief minister that he had “complete authority” to proceed.
The delay had drawn sharp rebukes from opposition lawmakers in the provincial assembly, who accused PTI of paralysing governance. They warned that the prolonged stall risked inviting an emergency declaration in the province, where security challenges, economic woes and reconstruction needs after devastating floods loom large.
The PTI’s provincial leadership had also made clear its red lines. Members of the previous cabinet facing “corruption allegations and bad reputation” were to be excluded, signalling a fresh start under Afridi’s watch.
In an interview with a private television channel, Afridi, who has begun poring over provincial briefings, struck an optimistic tone. “I started reviewing provincial affairs and had received several briefings, with more scheduled in the coming days,” he said. On the question of governance, the young leader emphasised resolve over résumé. “Resolving issues requires sincere intent rather than mere experience,” he said. “To run provincial matters, one needs the will to serve the public, not just experience.”
Speaking separately to reporters, Afridi underscored fidelity to party directives. “The provincial cabinet had been finalised in line with the PTI founder’s directions, with more than 10 members included in the first phase,” he said. Additional slots, he noted, remained under consideration.
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