LAHORE / PESHAWAR: Caretaker cabinets of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were sworn in by the respective governors in Lahore and Peshawar on Thursday.

As an eight-member cabinet of Punjab took oath, caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi pledged to hold ‘free and fair’ elections in the province in an effective manner.

Governor Balighur Rehman administered the oath to S.M Tanveer, Dr Javed Akram, Ibrahim Murad, Bilal Afzal, Dr Jamal Nasir, Mansoor Qadir, Syed Azfar Ali Nasir and Aamir Mir.

Chief Secretary Zahid Akhtar Zaman read out the notification of their appointment. CM Naqvi and IGP Dr Usman Anwar were among others present at the ceremony.

“The Punjab’s caretaker set-up is completely apolitical and it will discharge its duty of holding polls in the province in an effective manner,” Mr Naqvi pledged after the cabinet took the oath.

Dr Javed Akram is a known general physician and former vice chancellor University of Health Sciences, Lahore. He is a brother of former PML-N leader the late Pervez Malik and retired justice Malik Qayyum.

Amir Mir is a journalist by profession and a brother of TV anchor Hamid Mir. The FIA during the tenure of Imran Khan as prime minister had arrested Amir Mir allegedly for his “disrespectful attitude” towards Pakistan Army, the judiciary and women.

Bilal Afzal is director of Punjab group of colleges.

Ibrahim Murad is president of the University of Management Technology, Lahore.

S.M Tanvir and Syed Azfar Ali Nasir are businessmen and Mansoor Qadir is a former bureaucrat.

Earlier, a 14-member caretaker KP cabinet was administrated the oath by Governor Ghulam Ali after their appointment was notified.

Apart from JUI-F, whose members are lesser known figures, nominees of ANP, PML-N, PPP, Qaumi Watan Party and Baluchistan Awami Party are part of the cabinet.

“In exercise of the power conferred by Article 224 (1A) read with Article 105 of the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, I, Haji Ghulam Ali, Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa hereby appoint the following as members of the caretaker cabinet Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” read the notification issued at around 12:15pm.

The cabinet members are Abdul Haleem Qasuriya, Adnan Jalil, Bakht Nawaz, Fazal Elahi, Haji Ghufran, Hamid Shah, retired Justice Irshad Qaiser, Khushdil Khan Malik, Muhammad Ali Shah, Sawal Nazir, Shafi Ullah Khan, Shahid Khan Khattak, Syed Masood Shah, Taj Muhammad Afridi, and Manzoor Khan Afridi.

Mr Qasuriya is a political figure. Adnan Jail, son of former ANP senator the late Haji Muhammad Adeel, is ex-president of chamber of small industry. Bakht Nawaz belongs to JUI-F. Industrialist Fazal Elahi is a former senator and relative of ex-governor from PML-N Mehtab Abbasi. Hamid Shah is brother of former PML-N chief minister Pir Sabir Shah. Khushdil Khan Malik is former additional secretary, national security division. Muhammad Ali Shah is PPP’s former district Nazim Swat. Sawal Nazir is senior advocate of Supreme Court. Shahid Khan Khattak is a businessman. Syed Masood Shah is a former IGP, and Taj Muhammad Afridi, brother of former MNA Shah Ji Gul, is an industrialist.

The oath-taking ceremony was held at the Governor House where 14 out of the 15 members were sworn in. Manzoor Afridi of JUI-F could not take the oath as he is abroad.

On Wednesday, the Election Commission of Pakistan suggested elections be held between April 9 and 13 in Punjab, and in KP between April 15 and 17.

Published in Dawn, January 27th, 2023