PESHAWAR, April 23: Five more NWFP ministers were sworn in here on Wednesday, which increased the strength of the largest ever provincial cabinet to 26.

NWFP Governor Owais Ahmed Ghani had administered oath to the newly inducted ministers here at the Durbar Hall of Governor’s House. Three of them -- Amjad Afridi, Qazi Mohammad Asad and Hidayatullah -- belong to Awami National Party, Pervez Khattak is parliamenmtary leader of the Pakistan People’s Party-Sherpao, while Habibur Rehman Tanoli is from the so-called Independent group.

Both -- Mr Khattak from Nowshera and Mr Tanoli from Mansehra -- have been inducted into the cabinet from the ministerial share of the PPP. Qazi Asad from Haripur, Mr Amjad from Kohat and Mr Hidayat from Dir Lower represent ANP.

Despite induction of five ministers, some of the districts have no representation in the 26-member cabinet. Kohistan, Abbottabad, Upper Dir, Dera Ismail Khan, Lakki Marwat and Hangu have no representation in the cabinet.

Mr Tanoli is an old parliamentarian and comrade of Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao, but he contested the election from PF-57 as an independent candidate. After having meeting with PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, he decided to join the provincial coalition. Now, out of six MPAs, Mansehra has four ministers.

Qazi Asad had contested the election being an independent candidate from PF-50, Haripur. He joined ANP after winning his seat. Mr Asad was, perhaps, the only Pakistan Muslim League-Q MPA, who didn’t vote to President Pervez Musharraf during the presidential election.

Pervez Khattak, who had joined hands with Aftab Sherpao after a split in the PPP, has again joined his old herd. At present, Mr Khattak is parliamentary leader of his party, which had announced that it would file a reference against him for changing his loyalty. Some of the PPP local leaders in Nowshera are unhappy over his induction in the cabinet, because he incurred them huge monetary losses over the non-execution of development projects.

The ANP has tried to pacify some of its disgruntled MPAs by elevating them to the party posts, fell vacant after the induction of old officer-bearers into the cabinet. But, some of its MPAs, including Mukhtiar Ali Khan from Swabi and Shakeel Bashir Umarzai, were trying to get berths in the provincial cabinet. But, the party closed the doors for any future expansion of the cabinet.

After the induction of five new ministers in the provincial cabinet, the NWFP government has also reshuffled the portfolios of some of the coalition partners.

According to the official sources, Mian Iftikhar Hussain, who was earlier heading higher education, has been given charge of information, public relations and inter-provincial coordination. Qazi Mohammad Asad Khan from Haripur has been made minister for higher education.

Sardar Hussain Babak, who was earlier heading information department, has been given charge of schools and literacy. Amjad Afridi from Kohat and Hidayatullah Khan from Dir Lower have respectively been made ministers of housing and physical planning and live stock, dairies and cooperatives.

The sources said that the coalition partners have yet not decided about the departments of Pervez Khattak and Habibur Rehaman Tanoli.