PESHAWAR: Differences have emerged among the designated members of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cabinet over distribution of portfolios even before taking oath of their offices, according to sources.

They said that Shah Mohammad Khan Wazir, a lawmaker from Bannu, who had been designated as special assistant to the chief minister, declined the office and said that he would play his role as an ordinary member of the house.

PTI has announced 14-member provincial cabinet with two advisers and one special assistant to the chief minister. Nearly half of the ministries are still vacant.

“I am the senior lawmaker but have not been awarded any ministry because I wasn’t part and parcel of the ongoing tussle between the groups in PTI,” Mr Wazir told Dawn.

He had held the same portfolio in the previous cabinet of Pervez Khattak. He said that even the district councillors, who were elected MPAs for the first time, were given important portfolios but he was ignored.

“Justice has not been done with the southern districts of KP as only a single minister and an adviser has been designated among the lawmakers from this region,” said Mr Wazir.

Woman lawmaker likely to get berth in cabinet in next phase

He alleged that Pervez Khattak and his group misguided Prime Minister Imran Khan in the selection of the new cabinet.

While Mr Wazir blames Mr Khattak for his misfortune, the former chief minister himself is unhappy as his native district has been ignored in the selection of cabinet members, according to sources.

They said that two of the former chief minister’s acolytes, including former excise minister Mian Jamsheduddin and Mian Khaliqur Rehman, were in the race to get berth in the cabinet. However, none of them was made minister, they added.

“Pervez Khattak is not happy about the denial of the ministry to one of his close associates,” said sources. However, there were rumours that one of the coveted ministries was being kept vacant for the son of Mr. Khattak who was likely to enter the house after taking part in the by-polls for a seat vacated by his father.

On the other hand, Ziaullah Bangash, adviser designate from Kohat, is also said to be unhappy with his cabinet position. Source said that Mr Bangash was hopeful of getting a full-fledged ministry.

Sources said that there was some consternation among PTI members about overrepresentation of Swat, the homes district of chief minister that had been given two berths in the cabinet. Other districts, like Dir, where PTI for the first time made inroads, were left out in distribution of ministries, they added.

“The new cabinet is dominated by old faces as at least 10 former ministers of Pervez Khattak cabinet have managed to get ministries in this dispensation as well,” said sources.

At least four ministers in the Khattak government have retained their portfolios in the new cabinet, while the remaining six have been given other ministries.

Elementary and secondary education, higher education, planning and development, energy and power, irrigation, public health engineering, communication and works, Auqaf, excise and taxation and information are so of the important departments which are yet to be assigned to any lawmaker.

Also, not a single woman has been included in the provincial cabinet.

Mohammad Atif Khan, the main contender for the post of the chief minister, is also among the nominated ministers. He has been made senior minister and has been given the tourism portfolio.

Shahram Tarakai, another close ally of Mr. Atif, has been given the charge of local government department.

Taimur Saleem Jhagra, a management professional-turned-politician, has been made the province’s finance minister and it has been for the first during more than a decade that someone with relevant qualification has been given the charge of the department.

Sultan Mohammad Khan, a lawmaker from Charsadda and barrister by profession, has been made law minister. Dr Hisham Inamullah, a doctor-turned-politician from Lakki Marwat, has been given the charge of health ministry.

Kamran Bangash, a former member of Peshawar district council, has been given charge of IT ministry, apparently in a bid to placate the PTI base of youth.

Sources said that second phase of the cabinet expansion was likely to be announced after by-polls. They said that a woman lawmaker was also likely to get berth in the cabinet in the next phase.

Published in Dawn, August 28th, 2018