PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan on Thursday assigned portfolios to three ministers more than a month after they were sworn in.

He also changed the portfolios of his one adviser and two special assistants.

Ministers Mohammad Atif Khan, Fazal-i-Shakoor Khan and Shakeel Ahmad Khan were administered oath by the governor on April 14.

A notification said Atif Khan had been assigned three portfolios, including food, science technology and information technology.

Fazal-i-Shakoor Khan, a new entrant to the cabinet, was given the portfolio of law, parliamentary affairs and human rights, while Shakeel Ahmad Khan was notified as the minister for public health engineering.

However, Faisal Amin Gandapur, younger brother of federal minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Ali Amin Gandapur, who was also included in the cabinet lately, has yet to be assigned portfolio.

Special assistant to the chief minster on information Kamran Bangash told Dawn that Faisal Gandapur was likely to be given portfolio in the next phase.

Mohammad Atif Khan, who served as the senior minister for tourism, was sacked along with two other ministers, including Shahram Khan Tarakai and Shakeel Ahmad, in Jan 2020 for ‘plotting’ against the chief minister.

Khaliqur Rehman, who worked as the chief minister’s adviser to the chief minister on food, was given the portfolio of excise and taxation.

The portfolio of Taj Tarand was also changed. He will serve as the special assistant to the chief minister on energy and taxation. Earlier, he worked as the special assistant on prison.

MPA Shafiullah Khan, who acted as the special assistant to the chief minister on anti-corruption, complaint cell and provincial inspection team, was assigned the portfolio of prison.

Three aides to the chief minister, including adviser on science and information technology Ziaullah Bangash, adviser on energy and power Himayatullah Khan and special assistant on excise and taxation Ghazi Ghazan Jamal, had resigned from their respective offices last month.

Published in Dawn, May 21st, 2021