PESHAWAR, March 15: Khalilur Rehman took oath as Governor of the North West Frontier Province on Tuesday.

Chief Justice of Peshawar High Court, Justice Nasir ul Mulk, administered the oath to Mr Rehman at the newly-built, 700-seat Jirga Hall at the Governor’s House.

Chief Secretary Ejaz Qureshi read out the Commission of Appointment on behalf of the President of Pakistan.

The ceremony was attended by NWFP chief minister, provincial ministers, corps commander of Peshawar, senior civil and military officials, Fata parliamentarians, MPAs, politicians and a large number of people from different walks of life.

Mr Rehman replaces Lt-Gen. (retd) Syed Iftikhar Hussain Shah as the 25th governor of the NWFP.

Mr Shah, who resigned from his office last week citing personal reasons, left the Governor’s House for his native Kohat on Tuesday.

The former governor is likely to be given a diplomatic assignment, most likely to Turkey, but he told Dawn he was considering other options as well.

Khalilur Rehman, 71, is the third governor who comes from Peshawar. The others were Arbab Sikandar Khan Khalil of the National Awami Party and Fida Mohammad Khan of Pakistan Muslim League.

From the oath of commission it was clear that Mr Rehman had decided to officially abandon his nickname ‘Commander’ -– a legacy from the days when he commanded the navy of Bahrain in the late seventies.

“What implications?” he shot back when a reporter had asked the governor if his appointment would entail any political implications for the MMA government in the NWFP.

“There had been political governors in this province before,” he said. “I will be the governor for all,” he added.

He said he would ensure that all decisions were to be based on merit and justice. The governor also said he would focus on developing Fata.

“I am almost from Fata,” he said while alluding to his mother who hailed from Darra Adamkhel.

He, however, declined to comment on the military operations against foreign militants in the tribal areas.

Official sources said that Governor Rehman had assured the leadership of Pakistan Muslim League that he would help organize the party in the NWFP before the local bodies’ elections.

The sources said that former federal minister Anwar Saifullah Khan was likely to head the PML in the NWFP.

In fact it was due to the simultaneous clearance of Mr Rehman and Anwar Saifullah that had created confusion amongst the Saifuallahs who had gone to see Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and PML leader Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain to stake their claim to the office of the governor.

The Saifullahs have been feeling bitter over being ignored for key offices both within the party and in the government.