PESHAWAR, Feb 9: President Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday appointed the federal Minister for States and Frontier Regions, Engineer Shaukatullah Khan, as the governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, according to official sources.

Mr Khan, who will replace the incumbent, Barrister Masood Kausar, is expected to take oath of his office on Sunday.

An official at the Governor House confirmed the appointment of Mr Khan as governor, saying the federal government had already issued a notification.

Mr Khan told reporters on Saturday that he had been informed about his appointment during meetings with President Zardari and Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf.

He said he would work for the establishment of peace in the tribal region and strive for the betterment of people.

Mr Khan was elected member of the National Assembly from Bajaur tribal region as an independent candidate because the Political Parties Order was not extended to Fata at the time of the 2008 general elections.

His father, Haji Bismillah Khan, was an MNA too and had supported former prime minister Benazir Bhutto when a no-confidence motion was moved against her in 1989. His brother, Hidayatullah Khan, is a senator.

Born on April 2, 1969, Engineer Shaukatullah, acquired his primary education in Sangota, Swat, and completed matriculation and intermediate education from Cadet College Kohat. He received a degree in civil engineering from a private university in Taxila, which had an affiliation with the Lahore University of Engineering and Technology.