New 10-Member Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Cabinet Takes Oath
Peshawar: The newly formed **10-member Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) cabinet** took oath of office on Friday, with **Governor Faisal Karim Kundi** administering the oath at the **Governor House, Peshawar**.
The ceremony was attended by **Chief Minister Sohaib Afridi**, members of the provincial assembly, and senior civil officials.
The newly inducted ministers include **Aftab Alam, Amjad Ali, Fazal Shakoor Khan, Arshad Ayub, Meena Khan, Khaleequr Rehman, Riaz Khan, Fakhar Jahan, Aqibullah,** and **Faisal Tarakai**.
Additionally, **Muzzammil Aslam** and **Taj Muhammad** have been appointed as advisers to the Chief Minister, while **Shafi Jan** has been named Special Assistant. With these appointments, the total strength of the KP cabinet has reached **13 members**.
The development follows weeks of political uncertainty after **Ali Amin Gandapur** announced his resignation as Chief Minister on **October 8**, which was later contested by Governor Faisal Karim Kundi, who raised objections over discrepancies in Gandapur’s signatures on two resignation letters received on **October 8 and 11**.
The Governor had summoned Gandapur to the Governor House on **October 15** to resolve the issue, stating that the resignation could not be accepted until verification.
Meanwhile, the KP Assembly, led by Speaker **Babar Saleem Swati**, elected **PTI’s Sohaib Afridi** as the **30th Chief Minister** on **October 13** with **90 votes**, despite the Governor declaring the election **unconstitutional** until Gandapur’s resignation was officially accepted.
Following the dispute, PTI approached the **Peshawar High Court**, which ordered the Governor to administer the oath to the newly elected Chief Minister by **4 p.m. on October 15**, or else directed the Speaker to do so.
Subsequently, **PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari** instructed Governor Kundi to comply with the court’s decision. The Governor returned from Karachi to Peshawar and, in line with the **court’s directive**, administered the oath to **Chief Minister Sohaib Afridi**.
