PESHAWAR —The new provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is set to take shape with the announcement of a 13-member cabinet under Chief Minister Sohail Afridi. The line-up includes 10 ministers, two advisers, and a special assistant, with the oath-taking scheduled for 3 pm at the Governor’s House in Peshawar.

Key Appointments and Political Backdrop

Among the ministers named are Meena Khan Afridi, Fazal Shakoor, Faisal Turkai, Aftab Alam, Arshad Ayub Khan, Dr Amjad, Khaliq-ur-Rehman, Riaz Khan, and Syed Fakhar Jehan, signalling a mix of senior and rising figures aligned with the ruling party. The advisers will be Muzammil Aslam and Taj Muhammad Tarand, with Shafeeullah Jan appointed as special assistant.

The cabinet formation comes amid broader internal dynamics within the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in the province. Chief Minister Afridi had repeatedly sought to meet party founder Imran Khan to finalise the team, but was denied access to the former premier in jail, despite court directives.

Governance Agenda and First Signals

Speaking ahead of the ceremony, Afridi emphasized the importance of “will to serve the public” over purely political experience, stating that the cabinet was crafted in line with PTI leadership’s guidance and intended to “deliver on people’s needs.” With the provincial government now operational, the focus will turn to key issues such as administrative reform, service delivery, and coordination with the federal government.

Outlook and Emerging Challenges

While the cabinet’s short list of 13 members reflects an assembly majority and rapid formation, observers note that additional appointments may follow in subsequent phases. Afridi’s challenge will be to demonstrate tangible progress quickly, especially given criticism from opposition quarters about delay and transparency in the formation process.

With security, development, and governance high on the agenda in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the new cabinet’s performance in its initial months may set the tone for the province’s political trajectory ahead of upcoming electoral and administrative cycles.